US697636A - Machine for wiring sheet-metal articles. - Google Patents

Description

. No. 697,636. 'iPatentwApnlm |902.: .|.LEcLEnc, H. TREMBLAY & A. LALuMlnE. y MACHINE FUR WIRING SHEET METAL ARTICLES.

led July 6, 1901.)

. (Application 3 sheets-sheet I. 'Y

(un Model.;

Il h Il mi nomme PETER: om rumom'no.. wmmucm. D. u.

No. 697,636. I Patented Apr. I5, I902.

' .L LEcLEnc, H. TREMBLAY E A. LILLUMIRE.

MACHINE FOR WIRING SHEET METAL ARTICLES.

(Application med .my c, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 697.636. Paltented Apr. I5, |902. l J. LECLERC, H. TREMBLAY &. A. LALUMIRE. MACHINE FOB WIRING SHEET METAL ARTICLES.

(Applimian md #my e, 1991.)

Attc-nvmeys `1 UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LECLERC, HONORE TREMBLAY,AND ANTOINE LALUMIRE, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR WIRINGSHEET-METAL ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION fOl'miIlg' part 0f Letters Patent N0. 697,636, datdAprl 15, 1902. Application filed July 6, 1901. Serial No. 67,274. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: p

Be it known that we, JOSEIPH LECLERC and HONORE TREMBLAY, of Montreal, and AN- TOINE'LALUMIRE, of Point St.Char1es, Hochelaga county, Province o f Quebec, Canada, subjects of the King of Great Britain, have invented ycertain new and useful Improve-v ments in Machines for Wiring Sheet-Metal Articles and we do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y v- Our inventionrelates to improvements in machines for wiring sheet-metal articles, such as tin pails, pans, and the like; and the object that we have in View is the provision of a self-adjusting mechanism which will secu'rely hold the article and the wirein proper relation one to the other andvwill operate so as to bend or double the edge of the vessel or article automatically around the wire, so as to eect an intimate union of the parts.

One of the important features of our invention is a female die having means for receiving and retaining the article and provided with a series of yieldable die-sections capable of limited play in radially-inclined directions and disposed in matching relation, so as to abut when under compression, so as to afford a practically continuous die recess or groove, which serves to bend the edge of the vessel.

Another feature of our invention is a plu nger or male die having a head and a series of radiallymovable Adie members adapted to yield inwardly under pressure and provided with ribs arranged to register, so as to form a male-die ring adapted to the recess or groove of the femaledie. This male die or plunger has its sections further provided with a groove to deflect the edge of the vessel. It carries yieldable stems arranged to press the female die-sections together and also capable of giving to the highest pressure, and it is also equipped with a guide or centering plate arranged to positionthe male die and to assist in clamping the article firmly in place.

The invention further consistsin the novel combination of devices and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and clair-lied.

ldotted line 2 2 on Fig. l.

To enable others to understand the invention, we have illustrated a preferred embodi- .ment thereof in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part'of thisspecication, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the female die. Fig. 2 isa vertical transverse section thereof, taken in the plane of the Fig. 3 is an inverted or bottom planof the male die or plunger. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of a male die or plunger. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the male and female dies assembled in position for cooperation and with the sheetmetal article clamped in place Within the fe;- male die, so as to be retained inthe path of the male die. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the position of the parts when the male die is partially depressed and illustrating the operation of bending the edge of a sheet-metal article around a wire. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the position of the parts of the two dies when the operation is finally completed. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a part ot' the l female die, illustrating the means for holding one, of the female die-sections against displacement. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view lof a part of the die-shell within which are arranged the movable sections of the female die. Fig. 10 is a detail View of a springactuated stem adapted to form one of the series which is carried by the male die or plunger. Fig. v11 is a fragmentary sectional View of a 'part of the male die or plunger, illustrating the means for slidably confining a section of the male die proper.

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

We will rst proceed to described the female die shown by Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6 to 9, referring to which 5 designates the die-shell, which is secured upon a suitable base-plate 6 by means of the bolts or screws 7. This die-shell is represented more clearly by Fig. 2 in the form of an inverted hollow cone having its lower end seated upon and secured to the base-plate, and this die-shell is provided at a point intermediate of its height with an offset or shoulder 8, which extends continu- IOO ously around the inside of the shell and constitutes an annular seat for a plurality of independent die-sections, the same being indicated by the numeral 9. These die-sections are arrangedin annular series, as shown more clearly by Fig. 1, and they are so proportioned that they will fit snugly within the upper enlarged portion of the die-shell, the end edges of said die-sections being formed on lines radial to the vertical axis of the die. The die-sections are thus disposed in matching relation and with intervening narrow spaces between the radial end edges thereof, and these die-sections are adapted to rest upon the annular seat 8 when they are forcibly depressed by the action of the plunger or male die, to be presently described. Normally the die-sections 9 are held in raised positions and free from engagement with the annular seat by the action of coiled springs 10, the latter being received in sockets l1, which are formed in the solid lower portion of the die-shell 5. (See Figs. 8 and 9.) One or more springs may be devoted to each diesection 9, the upper ends of said springs bearing against the lower faces of the diesections-and adapted to forcibly impel the latter in upward and outward directions, as will be evident by an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. A retaining-ring or annular plate 12 is secured by screws 13 to the top edge of the die-shell, the inner edge of said annular plate extending into the path of the die-sections and serving to positively retain the latter against undue upward movement. Each die-section has its top edge or face formed on a straight line, as indicated at 14, for a part of its width; but the inner edge portion of the die-section is depressed, so as to form the groove 15, the die-sections being arranged within the die-shell in a manner for the grooves 15 therein to occupy matching relation. (See Fig. 1.)

16 designates a guide-pin which passes through a suitable opening 18 in each of the die-sections, and the lower portion of this pin is received within a socket 19, that is provided in the solid lower portion of the dieshell at points between the spring-sockets 11. The guide-pin associated with each die-section is cushioned by means of a spring 20, which is fitted in the socket 19 and engages with the lower extremity of the guide-pin, (see Fig. 8,) and this guide-pin is provided at its upper end with a feather 2l, that is received within an offset 22 provided in the opening 18 of the die-section, thus connecting the guide-pin 16 to the die-section in a manner to prevent the guide-pin from turning out of position within said section. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that a guide-pin 16 is associated with each of the series of diesections 9, and the annular plate 12 is provided with a series of offset ears 23, which are formed thereon at intervals and which are disposed in the path of the upper ends of the guide-pins 16, whereby the guideeergcee pins are retained in position within the female die against the energy of the cushionsprings 20, thus overcoming any tendency of said cushion-springs from forcing the guidepins out of the sections.

The upper ends of the guide-pins 1G are -normally held by the springs 2O above the upper faces of the die-sections 9, and the feathers on these series of guide-pins are disposed quite close to the grooves or depressions 15 in the arcuate die-sections. This relative relation of the guide-pins and the grooves in the die-sections provides for the secure retention of a wire ring, which is adapted to be attached to the upper edge of a sheet-metal article by bending the latter around the wire in a manner known to the trade as wiring a sheet-metal article, and hence the springactuated pins 16 thus serve a twofold purpose in a female die, because they assist the die-sections in holding the wire ring in place within the die, and they also serve as the means for guiding the die-sections.

.As shown by Figs. 2 and 5, the base-plate 6 has a central opening 24, and to this plate is secured a centering plate or disk 25, the latter being attached to the base-plate by the screws 26. It will be understood that the inner surface of the die-shell 5 is conical, whereas the edge of the centering-disk is vertical and is disposed in quite close relation to the conical face of the die-shell in order to form a tapering seat 27 for the lower edge of the sheet metal, the latter being indicated by the numeral 28 in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. This sheetmetal article 28 may be of flaring form of the kind known as a pan7 or other vessel; but it is to be understood that we do notlimit ourselves to the particular kind of article which may be wired by the machine of our invention.

We will now proceed to describe the male die or plunger, which is represented by Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11 of the drawings. This male die or plunger has a spindle 30, to which is keyed or otherwise secured a disk-shaped head 31, the latter being attached to the spindle at a point intermediate of the length thereof, and thus allows the lower portion of the spindle to extend below the plunger-head. On this lower projecting extremity of the spindle is loosely fitted a clamping-disk 32, having a beveled edge lthat is adapted to closely conform to the conicity of the dieshell and the female die-sections. Said disk is fitted loosely in place on the spindle in order that the latter may pass through the disk in the operation of the male die or plunger; but said disk is prevented from disengagement by a cross pin or key 33, which is attached to the lower extremity of the spindle and which lies below the disk., A coiled spring 34.- is iitted loosely in the spindle, so as to occupy a position between the fast head 3l and the movable clamping-disk 32, and this ,spring has its end portions seated against the head and against the loose disk in order IOO IIO

to firmly hold the latter in engagement with the work and allow the spindle, the head, and the parts carried by the latter to have a limited amount of play with respect to the female die without disturbing theaction of the disk 32 in clamping the sheet-metal article 28 within the shell and the die-sectionsof the female die.

The head 3l of the male die or plunger is undercut to provide the annular recess 35 in the lower face thereof, and the circular edge 'of the head is furthermore cut inwardly, as

at 36, toproduce the projecting ange 37 at the top edge, all as clearly shown by Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 1l. The male die proper consists of a plurality of arcuate members or sections 38, which are provided with straight end edges cut on lines radial to the axis of the spindle 30, and these maley die members are assembled in matching relation, so as to occupy the undercut annular recess 35 in the die-head. vSaid arcuate male die members are movable radially with respect to the spindle 30, so as to produce a laterally-expansible male die, and said members 38 are guided in the proper directions with respect to the diehead bythe guide-pins 39, which are preferably attached tothe die members 38 and are slidably fitted inthe radial sockets 40, which are provided in the head 3l, as clearly shown by Fig. 11. i

The arcuate members 38, which form the expansible male die,l are provided on. their lower sideswith the beveled faces 41, withY the flat faces 42, and with the grooves 43, as more clearlyshown by Figs. 5, 6, and 7. The grooves lie at the, intersection of the beveled and iiat faces of the die members, and these grooves, together Vwith the faces 41 42 of the several members 38, are assembled in matching relation, so as to produce a practically continuous surface on the under side ofthe male die when the members thereof are forced inwardly Vduring the action of the die or plunger. v A

`The desired expansion of thearcuatemembers forming the male dieis obtained by the employment of radiallyacting springs 44,= which are interposed between. the head 3l and the die `members 38, and, if desired, each spring may have one or both ends thereof housed Within a socket or sockets in order .to retain the spring against displacement. The outward movement of the male die members. is limited or arrested by a series ofstopplates 45, whichare .fastenedby screws to the edge ofthe head landwhich have their lower ends extended downwardlyinto the pathv of the die members at ,themeeting radial edges thereof, as shown more 'clearly by Figs. 3 and 4, whereby the stop-plates aresecured tothe head, so as to occupy a statio-nary relation to vthe radially-movable members of the expansible male die or plunger.

The members 3,8 of the expansible male diehave plates 46 secured to the outer exposed edges thereof inthe manner shown-by Figs.

3 and 4,.the end edges of said vplates 46 terminating within the edges of thestop-plates 45, (see Fig. 3,) and these plates 46 on the male die members are providedwith the enlarged bosses 47, the same being chambered or hollowed, as at 48, in Figs/,5to 7, inclusive. Thc chamberedbosses are adapted to be received within the recess'36 and to lie below the iiange 37 of the die-head 31, and said bosses are closed at their upper ends, while thelower ends are open. In each boss provided on one of the male die members is slidablyhtted a stem 49, the vlower end of which is enlarged to provide a foot 50. The upper end of the stem extends through the closed end of the chambered boss, and this stem isheld slidably in the boss by a pin 5l. The stem is pressed normallyin a downward direction by means of a strongspiral spring 52, which is iitted loosely around said stem and is housed within the socket or chamber 48, wherebythe upper end of the spring may be seated against the closed top edge of the chamberedboss, whereas the lower end of the spring rests against the foot 50.

Although we have shown and described the male die members as havingthe plates 46 secured thereto we do not limit ourselveslto this precise construction, because it isevident that the chamberedbosses 48 may be` made as integral parts ofthe die members38, or theymay be attached thereto byany equiv- Y alent means.

In Figs. l and 2 of .the drawings we have shown the female die as consistingof eight yieldable diesections 9. The male die or plunger is provided with a similar'number of die members 38, each of which carries an independent spring-actuated stem 49. It is thus .evident thata series of eight stems are provided on thenpper die orplunger, and these stems are so positioned on Athemale die that when the latter is brought into operative relation to the female die the stems 49 will be presented to the sections 9 of the female die in a kmanner Iforthefoot 50 of the. series of stems to span. the radial linesofdi- Visionbetween the sections 9 ofthe female die. Atthe same, time l'the iiat ,faces 42 and the grooves 43 of thev membersforming the male die will be brought into cooperative relationto the grooved inner edges 150i the sections 9 forming thejfemale die, while the beveled portion 41 ofthe male die members are IOO adapted .to extend into the vspace inclosed, by

position for the lower edge to enter the tapering seat 27 of the female die, whereas the upper edge of the article extends above the grooved face l5 of the female die-sections 9, all as clearly shown by Fig. 5. A ring of wire or other suitable material (indicated at 29) is placed in the grooves l5 of the female die-sections, so as to be held in close contact with the metallic article 28 by the feathers 2l of the guide-pins 16, which have operative relation to the female die-sections 9, and thus the article 28 and the Wire ring 29 are retained in the female die, so as to lie in the path of the plunger or male die. On the downward movement of the plunger the disk 32 first enters the male die, so as to engage with the article 28, and thereby cooperate with the female die in firmly clamping the article in place, said disk 32 thus occupying a stationary relation to the female die and to the spindle 30 of the male die, whereby the work will be clamped in place during the operation of bending or folding the edge 28 around the wire ring 29. On the continued downward movement of the male die or plunger the beveled edges 4l of the male die members enter the space inclosed by the female die members, and the grooved faces 43 of the male die members thus engage with the top edge of the sheet-metal article 28. (See Fig. 5.) As the male die continues to descend its sections 38 are gradually compressed and the grooved edges 45 of said sections or members 38 turn over the edge of the article 28, so as to partially inclose the wire, as represented by Fig. G, the sections 9 of the female die gradually yielding to the continued descent of the male die until the springs l0 are compressed and the die members 9 firmly rest upon the annular seat 8 of the die-shell. During this depression of the female die members and the inward movement of the male die members 38 the springs 52 of the stems 49, which rest upon the adjacent edges of the sections 9 forming the female die, retain their normal positions, because the strong spiral springs 52 are employed; but on the final period of the downward thrust of the male die or plunger these stems slide through the chamber-ed bosses 47, and all of the sections or members of the two dies are forced or drawn firmly together, so as to bend or crimp the edge of the article 28 tightly around the wire ring 29, as represented by Fig. 7. The work of wiring the article is now completed and the plunger or male die is withdrawn in an upward direction, thereby releasing the article 28 from the male die and the disk 32. The sections 9 of the female die are also released and they tend to slightly lift the work or article 28, so as to free it from close frictional engagement with the female die, whereby on the withdrawal of the male die the article may easily be removed from the machine.

Changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the form and proportion cf some of the parts, while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence we do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to Vary therefrom.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is` l. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, cooperating male) and female dies, the female die having spring-cushioned yieldable sections movable upwardly on diverging lines and each provided with means for retaining a wire in position on the active face thereof, as set forth.

2. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, cooperating male and female dies, said female die provided with yieldable stems for retaining a wire ring adjacent to a deflecting or bending surface of the die, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles,cooperating male and female dies, said female die comprising a common die-shell, a series of die members yieldably confined within said shell, and means for retaining a Wire ring in operative position relative to the die members, substantially as set forth.

4E. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, cooperating male and female dies, said female die comprising a series of yieldable sections each having a wire-ring-retaining means, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal a1'- ticles, cooperating male and female dies, said female die comprising a series of yieldable sections and provided with yieldable pins adapted to retain a wire ring in proper relation to .the female die, substantially as set forth.

o. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, cooperating male and female dies, said female die comprising a series of spring-actuated die members disposed in matching relation, and said male die provided with yieldable stems arranged at intervals thereon and adapted to rest upon and to span the spaces between the sections of the female die when the two dies are brought into cooperating relation, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, cooperating male and female dies, said female die comprising a common die-shell, a series of spring-seated die members arranged in matching relation within said die-shell, a series of wire-ring retainers, and means for holding the retainers of the die-sections in proper relation, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine forwiringsheet-metalarticles, cooperating male and female dies, said female die consisting of a flared die-shell provided with an internal plate or disk which forms a seat for a sheet-metal article, a series of die-sections within the shell, and ring-retaining means cooperating with said die-sections, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine for wiringsheet-metal articles, cooperating male and female dies, said ICO female die comprising a die-shell having an internal seat and a series of yieldable sections adapted to said seat, said male die provided with a central stem and a spring-actuated clamping-disk arranged to enter the space formed by the series of members of the female die, said disk in the cooperative positions of the two dies adapted to span the spaces between the internal seat and the female die members on the depression of the lattlr to occupy the seat, substantially as set fort 10. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, coperating male and female dies, said female die having movable spring-seated members seated -in a die-shell, said male die comprising a suitable head, and a plurality ofarcuate members yieldably mounted on the head and each havinga grooved working face, and a series of yieldable stems carried by said arcuate members of the male die and arranged to be seated-upon the movable members of the female die, substantially as described.

1l. In a machine for wiring sheetmetal articles, coperating male and female dies, said female die having down wardly-yieldin g members, saidzmale die comprising a series of radially-yieldable arcuate members each having the external chambered bosses, a series of vertical stems fitted in said bosses and provided with feet to rest upon' the female die members, and cushion-springs for said stems, substantially as set forth.

12. Inamachineforwiringsheet-metalarticles, coperating male and female dies, said female die having downwardly yieldable members normally held in raised divergent relation, and said male die provided with radiallyexpansible die members and with spring-cushioned vertical stems adapted to be seated upon the female die members and to span the spaces between the same, as set forth.

13. In a machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, cooperating male and female dies, said male die comprising a head, a series of arcuate members yieldably confined on the head, v

cles, cooperating male and female dies, the

female die having yieldable members arranged for movement on divergent lines, and the male die. comprising a head, a series of radially-movable yieldable members confined on-the head and disposed in coperative relation. to the female die, chambered bosses carried bythemembers of the male die, and spring-backed stems fitted in the bosses and arranged to rest uponthe sections of the female die, substantially as set forth.

16. Ina machine for wiring sheet-metal articles, a female die provided with a bending or deflecting groove, and a series of yieldable stems seated in saiddie and normally eX- posed above the active face thereof in coperative relation to the groove therein, combined with a male die or plunger, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH LECLERC. HONORE TREMBLAY. ANTOINE LALUMIERE.

, Witnesses:

J. A. MARION, T. MYNARD.

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