US857764A - Metal-bending machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 857,764. 7 EATENTED JUNE 25,1907.`

II M. SMITH. METAL BBNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1905.

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PATENTED JUNE `25, 1907.

HIH [ufl l H. M. SMTH.

METAL BENDING MACHINE.

50 4 to this invention, and Fig. 8 is a detail view UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

NlpETAL-BENDING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application led November 15, 1905. Serial No. 287,463.

T all whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Metal-Bending Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for making folds or bends in sheet-metal.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a machine for simultaneously bending the wings projecting from three sides of a sheet-metal blank.

A machine constructed according to this invention has beenv especially designed for bending and shaping the dentils forming parts of ornamental cornice work of buildings.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawing machine constructed according to this invention partly broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view,

Fig. 4l is a central transverse sectional view.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the adjustable gage pins. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the replaceable cross-piece and its connection with one of the side-plates. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a sheet-metal blank of the kind which is adapted to be folded or bent upon a machine constructed according ofba sheet-inetal dentil bent into shape for use in connection with the ornamental cornice of a building.

In sheet-metal cornice work for buildings the body-portion of an ornamental cornice is usually formed by sheet metal, and the ornamental blocks or dentils which project from the body'portion of the cornice are usually formed of separate pieces which are riveted or fastened to the body of the cornice. The dentilsor'projecting parts which are used to ornament the cornice are of various sizes and are usually designed by architects according to the porportions and locations of a building which is to be ornamented thereby.

Heretofore in manufacturing sheet metal cornice work the dentils have been folded` or bent from sheet metal blanks by means of hand operations. The especial object of my present invention is to provide a metal bending machine which will fold or bend the wings which project from three sides of a sheet metal blank so as to form the same into a box-like structure to be used as a ings, Figure l is a front view of a metal benddentil for cornice work. uisite of a machine for this purpose is that the same shall be readily adjustable for use on different sized blanks, and different shapes of dentils, as it seldom happens that dentils of two separate pieces of cornice work will have the same dimensions.

In a machine constructed according to this invention I have provided for doing a variety of work by means of an adjustable bending frame consisting of two side wings which may be movable relatively to each other, and between the side wings I insert replaceable cross-pieces of different lengths according to the width of the particular dentils which are to be bent. I consider this a particularly important feature of the machine, as by the use of a set of replaceable cross-pieces I have been enabled to provide a machine adapted to bend a wide range of work. f

In the particular machine herein illustrated the machine frame carries two relatively adjustable tables. Each of these tables is provided with a vertical guideway carrying a vertically movable plate forming part of the bending frame. The two tables may be moved toward or away from each other according to the width of the blank which is to be operated upon, and they ends of the plates are connected by one of the replaceable cross-pieces which when held in position co-operates with a front piece in bending up a third or end iiange ofthe blank. The machine is operated by means of a treadle mounted to exert a powerful leverage, and adjustability of the tables is secured by a lead-screw having right and left-hand threads thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detail description of a metal bending machine embodying this invention, as shown in Figs. l and 2, 10 designates a rectangular frame or bed. The machine frame l() is supported upon three legs, two legs 11 at the front of the machine, and a third leg at the rear thereof. Movable on the machine frame are the two tables which carry the side-plates of the adjustable bending frame. The tables are similar in construction, eX- cept that they are rights and lefts with respect to each other. A description of one of such tables is all that is required. As shown in Fig. 2, the right-hand adjustable table comprises a plate or casting 13 having a vertical guideway 14 which is stiffened and One essential req- IOO supported by a flange 15. Mounted in the llange 15 and on a front plate 16 is the table top 17. As shown in Fig. 3, the table top 17 is provided with one or more dove-tailed grooves 18 resembling the grooves of a planer table, and adjustably mounted in the grooves 18 are stops for positioning the work. One of these stops is illustrated in Fig. 5 and may consist of a screw 20 which may be threaded to a fastening piece 19 fitted in one of the dove-tail grooves of the table top. The inner side of the box-like adjustable table is closed by a side-piece 21, and riveted into the upper edge of the side-piece 21 is a steel strip 22 forming a bending edge for one wing of a sheet-metal blank.

As shown in Fig. 4, each of the adjustable tables has a spring clamp-plate 23. The clamp-plate 23 is held in place by screws 24, said screws extending through slots, and the heads of such screws being located in counterbores or recesses.

As shown in Fig. 1, each of the clampplates' 23 is carried by arms 25 vertically movable upon guide-pins 26, and normally held up by springs 27.

Mounted in each of the vertical guideways 14 is a slide 47, shown in Fig. 4, and extending forward from the slide 47 is a bending plate 48 forming one of the sides of the adjustable bending frame.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the bending plate 48 is partially detached or separated from the thicker slide 47 by means of the vertical slot shown, and this construction is adopted in order that the bending plate i may have sufficient flexibility to permit the same to spring in slightly to accommodate different thicknesses of sheet-metal. For example, in bending 24 gage stock the same machine adjustment would be had as for lighter stock, the additional thickness of the metal being provided for by the spring or yielding of the bending plates 48.

The front of the adjustable bending frame is formed by a removable piece 30, shown in Fig. 6, the end of which fits into a rabbeted socket in each of the bending plates 48, and is supported in place b y means of a pin 49.

Fastened on the front of the frame of the machine is a removable front plate 45 carrying a steel strip 46 which co-operates with a removable piece 30 to fold up an end-wing of the blank which is to be operated upon.

The three steel strips 22, 46, and 22 are removable and can be replaced when worn out. It is also to be understood that if desired, these steel strips may be replaced by strips having sheared edges when it is desired to use the machine for shearing or cutting out three sides of a blank.

To adjust the machine for dierent kinds of work, I provide a lead-screw 32 having a hand-wheel 33. The lead-screw 32 near one end is screw-threaded with threads of a right-hand pitch, and is threaded into a nut 34 carried by one of the tables. Near the other end the lead-screw is threaded with left-hand threads, and is threaded into a nut carried by the other adjustable table. By means of this construction the tables and the side plates forming part of the adjustable bending frame may be opened or adjusted according to the width of the blank which is to be operated upon, the different positions of the side-pieces of the folding frame requiring the use of different replaceable front pieces.

The bending operation is preferably accomplished by means of a treadle. As shown in Fig. 2, I preferably employ a bellcrank shaped treadle 36 which is normally held up by a spring 37. Connected to the bell-crank shaped treadle 36 is an adjustable link 38, which, at its upper end, as shown in Fig. 4, is connected to a shaft 40 which extends through the vertically movable slides. By depressing the treadle, the bending frame will be moved down.

As shown in Fig. 2, it will be noticed that the pivotal connection of the link 38; the pivot of the treadle to the frame of the machine; and the connection with the vertically movable slides, are but slightly out of line with each other, and that as the treadle is depressed, the link 38 will be swung rearwardly, tending to bring these centers more nearly in line with each other, and to produce a toggle action, so that a heavy bending pressure can be exerted if desired.

An understanding of the work of the machine can be had from Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 illustrates one form of blank used for making a dentil. In folding this particular construction the stops would be first set to proper' position, and a number of blanks would have the four extremities of their extending wings simultaneously bent to form the footpieces E shown in Fig. 8. The machine would then be reset, the stops put to proper position, and by turning over the blank a second bending operation will turn the wings B, C and D in the opposite direction to the foot-pieces E, forming the completed dentil as shown in Fig. 8.

In the complete dentil, the ends of the wings will be bent back to form small footpieces E, but this may be done as a separate operation distinct from the work of simultaneously bending the side and end wings for which a machine constructed according to this invention is especially designed.

While I have illustrated and described a particular form in which I prefer to embody my invention, I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described this invention and the manner in which the same is per- IOO IIO

formed, what is claimed and sought to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is l. In a metal bending machine, t-he combination of an eXpansible bending frame, consisting of relatively adjustable side plates and a replaceable cross-piece, and means cooperating with the bending frame to simultaneously bend the wings projecting from the sides of a sheet-metal blank.

2. In a metal bending machine, the combination of two relatively movable tables, an eXpansible bending frame comprising a side plate carried by each of said tables and arplaceable cross-piece, and means co-operating with the bending frame 'for simultaneously bending the wings of a sheet-metal blank.

3. In ametal bending machine, the combination of an eXpansible bending frame consisting of relatively adjustable side plates, and a replaceable cross-piece, side strips cooperating with the bending frame to simultaneously bend the side wings of a sheetmetal blank, and spring pressed clampplates co-operating with the side-plates of the bending frame to hold the work in place while being bent.

4. In a metal bending machine, the combination of two relatively adjustable tables, each having a guideway, a side-plate mounted in each oi said guideways and forming parts of an expansible bending frame, a replaceable piece'forming a third side of the expansible bending frame, and a springpressed clamp-plate carried by each of said tables and co-operating with a side-plate to clamp the work while the same is being bent.

5. In a metal bending machine, the combination of two relatively movable tables, each having a guideway, a side-plate guided in each of said tables and forming part of an eX- pansible bending frame, a removable piece between the side-plates forming a third side of the bending frame, a front piece having an edge (3o-operating with the removable piece to bend one wing of the blank, and the tables having edges co-operating with the sideplates to bend the side wings of the blank, said front piece being removable so that the same may be taken 0H when desired.

6. In a metal bending machine, the combination of a machine frame, two relatively movable side plates thereon, and a removable piece supported by said side plates and forming therewith a three-sided bending Jframe.

7. In a metal bending machine, the combination of an eXpansible bending frame, consisting of relatively adjustable side plates and a replaceable cross-piece, means co-operating with the bending frame to simultaneously bend the side wings of a sheet-metal blank, a treadle, and a toggle acting connection between the treadle and bending frame.

8. In a metal bending machine, the combination of two relatively adjustable box-like tables, a bending plate mounted in ways on each of said tables, and a clamp plate co-operating with each of said bending plates, each of said clamp-plates being carried by arms fitted onto guide-pins and supported by springs.

9. In a metal bending machine, the combination of two relatively movable tables, a

bending plate movably mounted on each of said tables, a cross-shaft connecting the bending plates, and a treadle connected to the cross-shaft to operate the bending plates.

10. In a metal bending machine, the combination of two relatively adjustable tables, each having slots in its upper surface, gagepins or stops adjustable in said slots for positioning the work, a bending plate carried by each of said tables, and means for simultaneously operating the bending plates.

l1. In a metal bending machine, the combination of the machine frame, two relatively movable tables, a lead-screw having right and left-hand screw threads for moving the tables toward or away from each other, gaging-pins adjustable in the tables for positioning the work, a side plate mounted in guideways on each of said tables, a crosspiece connecting the si'de plates to form a third side of the bending frame, a springpressed clamp-plate carried by each of the tables, and co-operating with the corresponding plate for clamping the work while being acted upon, a cross-shaft connecting the bending plates, and a treadle connected to operate the cross-shaft.

12. In a metal bending machine, the combination of a machine frame, a removable Jfront plate thereon, side pieces, and an eX- pansible bending frame movable past the edges of the iront plate and side pieces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT M. SMITH. Witnesses:

PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE, MARY E. REGAN.

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