US909064A - Method of forming expanded metal. - Google Patents

Description

w H. GOOLEY. METHOD OF FORMING EXPANDED METAL.

7 5 M V J H M N a m m P m 5 E w w/ I 5 V M if a w W 9 2 W. H. GOOLEY.

METHOD OI FORMING EXPANDED METAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1908.

909,064 Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' gatmgim single operation and =ation is put uponstrands or si e regularity in the cuts 111 p rmeans of, preferably rotary, cutters, a

WILLIAM H. GOOLEY, OF BROCKPORT, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF FORMING EXPANDED METAL.

Application filed June 29,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 440,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Ooonnr, a citizen of'the United States, and a resident of Brockport, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of Forming Expanded Metal, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved method of producing expanded metal such as used in reinforced concrete work and for lathing and other similar purposes.

It has been customary hitherto in the production of expanded metal,- when the metal was cut by reciprocating dies, to ex and themetal as it is being cut, and when t e metal was cut by means of rotary)cutters, to expand the metal either while eing cut or subsequently to the cutting operation in a separate expanding apparatus or mac e, in which latter case it as been usual to expand the entire sheet at one operation. This method ha afforded some advantages, in that the entire sheet could be expanded at a the cutting could be rotary cutmore rapidly done by means of tors.

Machines for expanding the metal, after it has been out, at a si 1e and independent operationharve usually can ofsuch a-size as to be seriously objectionnblerfor the largersize aheets,'.as such machines had to be adapted to receive the sheet in its full dimensions in one direction before expansion and to ex- .pand the metal to its maximum dimension in the transverse direction. Insuch machines it has been usual to place the entire strain of the expanding operation u on the opposite edges of the sheet and an expansion has sometimes :beensomewhat irregular, owing to the factthemtrain in the ex anding operbars of the meshes at the extreme as of thesheet.

By means of my math I am enabled to greatly reduce the expense of and the space occupied by the'expanding apparatus while at the same time .a nearly perfect the shapeand -sizeof',the mesh in the expanded metal g In carryi out my invention, l rst form e metal in the desired way b though reciprocating cutters may be used, 22d gods the metal leariles the cutters, .it 18 us to use roug on; or corruwhich my heme? com rising erably of the rotary ty e, although reciprocating mechanism may e used for this purpose also, which crimps the sheet in such a way that a strip cut from the sheet transverselyof the corrugations and of the direction of the feed through the cutters will correspond to the dividing wall or bars between two adg'acent and transversely extending series 0 meshes, so that to produce the expanded metal, it is only necessary to bend every other series of bars, between the cuts, in the opposite direction from that in which the lie in the crimped or corrugated sheet, an in expanding such a sheet it is only necessa to engage the sheet at the keys between t e bars and draw such keys in straight lines without stretching the metal.

I esire to call especial attention to the fact that one of the essential features of my present invention consists in so crim ing the sheet after it has been cut that the motion of the motion of the expanding members ma be in straight lines, on account of which the metal may be expanded without stretching and the expander may be comparatively small and simple in construction,-

either a roller having engaging teet on it or a pair of rollers ca sprocket chains or other endless bands aving engaging teeth thereon, such teeth spaced the same distance each we as the keys in the expanded metal. y this method of expansion, the meshes are all exanded uniformly and .each mesh is expanded independently of any other mesh in the sheet.

7 An important feature of my present invention is the cutting of the meta by rotary cutters, as such cutters may be operated with greater rapidity than reci rocatin dies, and for the further reason t at sucli rotary cutters may be advantageously incorporated in the same mac he with the crimping or come rollers and the sheet may be delivered om such machine in its out and corrugated or crim ed form.

Another important feature 0 m invention is the character and method 0 forming the cuts in the metal, the purpose being to provide a systemnfcutting in which rotary cutters may be used whose outer peripheries are ,plain and in no way notched, such cutters operating to dis law from the normal initial plane of the a t 10 'tudinally extending portions whose .wid is the width .otene aizthebars ,inoleaingthemeshes mthe ios expanded metal, such longitudinally extending strips located alternately below and above the normal initial plane of the metal and adjacent ones ,of such alternating stri s separated by an intermediate strip of t e same width but extending first above and then below the initial plane of the metal and united to such first named strips on each side thereof at points denominated keys in the finished roductl In cutting the metal in this way t e centrally disposed longitudinally extending strips are connected to alternately ositioned keys in rows extending transverse y of the metal. The accompanying drawings illustrate different steps in my process of forming the expanded metal and diagrammatically the apparatus which I may make use of for carng out this rocess or method. Such awings are as ollows:

Figure 1 shows in end view and partiall in section a pair of cooperating cutting rol ers. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of these rollers at the cutting points and with a sheet of metal as passing therethrou h and a portion of the sheet of metal as having een cut by the rollers. Fig. 3 is asectional view of the cutting rollers near their cooperating outer edges. Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the cuts formed by the rotary cutters. Fi 5 shows m diaam the cutting rollers an the cooperating eed rollers and additional thereto the crimping or corrugating rollers, while Fig. 6 shows in enlarged view a portion of the corrugat ng rollers and a art of a sheet of metal being operated on thereby. Fig. 7 shows a plan view of the metal after it has been cut and corrugated. Fi 8 shows a section of the expanded meta and diagrammatically the positions of the expandi fingers as they expand the metal. Fig. 9 1s a top view of a ortion of the expanding mechanism, while ig. 10 is a side view of the ex ander. Flg.

11 shows .a modified form of t e expanding mechanism.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu hout the difierent figures of drawing.

Re erring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4,my rota cutters consist of a series of plain upper an lower disks a and 0), the face or thickness of which is the width between the cuts and the width of a bar in the expanded metal. These disks 0 and a are assembled on suitable shafts and held properly s aced in a way to be explained and t e thic ess also of a bar apart between a disk 0. and a disk a; These disks (1 and a overlap each other and b just twice that distance which the 'longitu inally extending stri s are to be displaced from the initial plane 0 the metal.

On each side of each roller a is a cutter c and' on each side of each such roller (1 is a cutter c, the extreme outer peripheries of thacutters c and cl presenting series of cutting seg- 55 ments so formed that a cutter c cuts against rollers and cutters.

the adjacent side of a disk a, while a cutter c cuts against the adjacent side of a disk a, such cutters c and 0 having their more prominent edges even with the disks a and a, respectively. Cutting edges on the rotary cutters c and c are alternately ositioned and are adapted to force the meta from the normal initial plane of the sheet first upwardly to a point 111 alinement with the outer periphery of a disk (1 and then downwardly to a point in line with the outer periphery of a disk a. The cutters c are separated first by a disk a and then by a spacing disk cl and in a similar way the cutters c are separated first by a disk 0 and a spacing disk d. The 30 thickness of these spacing disks it will be noted is of course the same as that of the cutters and other disks. The cutting disks 0 and c after they have operated on the metal leave cuts and forced from the initial lane of the sheet a series of sections arrange as indicated clearly in edge view in Fig. 2, the cuts being arranged as indicated in Fig. 4. As seen in Fig. 5, feed rollers F and F and G and G are provided each side of the rotary cutters and the metal is supposed to pass from left to right, in this figure, and as it leaves the roller G it is flattened out a ain.

After assing through the feed ro lers G and G, t e sheet of metal m is engaged by a cooperating pair of crimping or corrugatmg rollers P and P, the size an rate of rotation of which is such as to substantially take up the travel of the sheet through the receding These rollers and P form in the sheet transversely arranged cor rugations conformin to the contour of the mesh in the expands metal, in the centers of which are located the keys in transversely extendin rows, every other row-of keys being force in one direction and every intermediate row of keys being forced in the opposite direction from the initial plane of the sheet. Such a sheet of metal when thus corrugated is next expanded by being inserted between two guides h and it having connectin end pieces h, onl one of'which is seen, an one, and preferab y the right hand, series of keys is engaged by a series of projecting fingers t extending outwardl from each one of a series of bars I) secure upon an endless band or carrier B and caused to rotate over the rollers E and E. These rollers E and E carry on their ends ,a series of teeth e adapted to engage the bars 15 to pro el the same in the expanding o eration. n the expanding of the metal by t is mechanism, the eys in the cut and corrugated metal are drawn in straight lines and the completed mesh, of diagonal form, is produced by draw' the metal at the keys in stra' ht lines and without stretching, as clearl in icated. Byreason of the corrugation o the metal, one half of the side walls of each series of transversely arranged meshes in the expanded metal is already formed to jectingsdirectly from the single rotating cylinder I desire to call attention to the fact that each mesh is expanded by itself and'that the expansion is effected without stretching the metal and is uniform throughout the sheet regardless of any slight irregularities in the spacing of the cuts or in the character of the metal, and also to the fact that in the expansion only every other series of bars is bent in the o posite direction from that in which it lies in the cut and crimped metal, while every intermediate series of bars is simply moved along in its normal shape or condition without bending. On

account of the crimping or corrugatiiig of the metal, 'permittin the expanding fingers t'to travel in straight lines, the expanding process. may be a continuous and rapid one and effected by the simple mechanism herein shown.

Any suitable feeding mechanism may be used to feed the corrugated sheet into enga ement with the ex anding mechanism an I have shown only iagrammatically one form' of such afeeding mechanism in Figs. 8 and 10. Such a feeding mechanism may com rise a weight w havin attached thereto a c ain or rope r arrange to ass over a pulley-O secured. upon a sha t o and revoluble in bearings 11 and such chain secured at its otherend to a plate a engaging under the under edge or end of the corrugated sheet of metal, as indicated. There may be any desired number of such weights and ropes and pulleys, according to thelength of the sheet transversely of the corrugations.

There shouldbe rovided at least two such weights one having its attaching cord secured to each end of the cross bar-u.

What I claim is: r

l. The w'ithm described method of cutting metalfor expansion which consists in forming alternating series of interru ted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and simultaneously forcmg continuously in one direction away from the mitlal plane of the sheet longitudinally extending strips between the cuts s aced apart by three-intermediatestri'ps an forcmg the centrally disposed oneoi' each such three interme'dlate strips. continuously in the op osite direction away-train the initial plane tithe sheet and-fercipg the adjacent on the same side of a mesh with t stantially in a plane at an strip on each side of each such centrally dis posed intermediate strip obliquely across the initial plane of the sheet between their alternating connections at the keys to stri s on each side thereof forced continuous y in opposite directions.

2. lhe within described method of cutting metal for expansion which consists in forming alternating series of interru ted cuts in the metal to leave alternating eys between the cuts and simultaneously force ing continuously in one direction away from the initial plane of the sheet longitudinally extending strips between the cuts s aced apart by three intermediate strips an forcing the centrally disposed one of each such three intermediate strips continuously in the opposite direction away from the initial plane of the sheet and forcing the adjacent strip on each side of each such centrally disposed intermediate strip obliquely across the inital plane of the sheet between their alternating connections at the keys to strips on each side thereof forced continuously in opposite directions, the obliguely extending connecting strips on one si e of each such centrally disposed intermediate strip alternating in direction with those on the other side of such centrally disposed intermediate stri 3 The within'described method of forming expanded metal, which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every other row of keys in one direction away from the normal .plane of the metal and every intermediate row of keys in the opposite dlrection to form in the cut or slashed metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connecting key between them in the expanded metal and engaging the corrugated sheet at the keys and drawing the same in substantial parallel and straight lines extending su stantially in a plane at an angle to the plane of the corrugated sheet.

P4. The within described method of expending a slashed sheet of metal, which consists in forming in the slashed or'cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of an two bars he connecting key between them in the expanded metal and engaging the corrugated sheet at such keys and drawing the same insubstantially parallel and straight lines extending sub.- angle to! the plane of the corrugated sheet. 5. The within described method of ex: panding a slashed sheet of metal which'conw sists in first corrugating the sheet to'shortenthe sheet in the direction of the cuts to per- .nit the expansion of the sheet by opening the cuts therein-by forcing or drawing points correspondingly ocated on opposite sides of the 5 cuts relatively a art in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts and parallel to each other and then forcing or drawing points correspondingly located on opposite sides of the cuts relatively a art in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts and parallel to each other.

6. The-within described method of forming expanded metal, which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every other row of ke s in one direction from the normal plane of t e metal and every intermediate row of keys in the op osite direction to form in the cut or 'slashe metal corrugations extending trans versely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connecting key between them in the expanded metal and engaging the corrugated sheet at the keys and drawing the same in substantially parallel and straight lines to expand the sheet.

7. The within described method of expending a slashed sheet of metal, which consists in forming in the slashedpr cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of an two bars on the same side of a mesh with t e connecti key between them in the expanded meta and engaging the corrugated sheet at the keys and drawing the same in substantially parallel and. straight lines to expand the sheet.

8. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in first corru ating the sheet to shorten the sheet-in the direction of the cuts to permit the expansion of the sheet by opening the cuts therein by forcing or drawing points correspondingly located on opposite sides of the cuts relatively apart in substantially straight lines in planes pe endicular to the ori "nal directionof the en s and then forcing or rawing oints correspondingly locatedon opposite si es of the cuts relativel apart. in substantially straight lines' in p anes perpendicular' to the original direction of the cuts. I

9. The within described method of forming expanded metal, which consists in formalternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every 0t er row of keys in'one direction away from the normal plane of the metal and every intermediate ronLof keys in the oppositesdirection to form in the cut or slashe metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours I which correspond substantially to the contours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connecting key between them in the expanded metal, and engaging the corrugated sheet at the keys and drawing the same in substantially parallel and straight lines extending... substantially in a plane transverse to the plane of the corrugated sheet.

10. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in forming in the slashed or cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond sub stantially to the contours of an two bars on the same side of a mesh with t e connectin key between them in the expanded meta and engaging the corrugated'sheet at such keys and drawing the same in substantially parallel and straight lines. extending substantially in a lane transverse to the plane of the corrugated sheet.

11; The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in first corrugating the sheet to shorten the sheet in the direction of the cuts to permit the expansion of the sheet by opening the cuts therein by forcing or drawmg oints correspondingly located on opposite sides of the cuts relatively apart in substantially straight lines in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts and parallelto eac or drawing 1 other and then forcirg1 points correspondingly locat on op osite tansides of the cuts relative] apart in an tially straight lines in p anes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts and parallel to each other.

12. The within described method of form-. ing expanded metal, which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternati keys between the cuts and forcing every ot er row of keys in one direction away from the normal plane of the metal and every intermedfigrtgwfm keys in the o posite direction tom the tutor slashes metal corrugations exten transversely of the cuts,. the contours which correspond substantially to the contours of any two bars on the same side of a 116 mesh with the connecting key between them in the expanded metal and engaging the conrugated sheet at the keys and drawing the same substantially without stretching the metal in substantially parallel and straight 1 lines extending substantially in a plane at an angle to the .p ane of the corrugated sheet. ,13. The within described method of ex panding a slashed sheet of metal, which con sists in forming in the slashed or cut metal I" corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of an two bars on the same side of a mesh with tfie connec key between them in the expanded met and engaging the corrugated sheet at such keys and drawing the same substantially without stretchin the metal in substantially parallel and straig t lines extending substantially in a plane at an angle to the plane of the corrugated sheet.

14. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in first corrugating the sheet to shorten the sheet in the direction of the cuts to permit the expansion of the sheet by opening the cuts therein by forcing or drawing points correspondingly located on opposite sides of the cuts relatively apart in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts and parallel to each other and then forcing or drawing points correspondingly locate on 0p osite sides of the cuts relatively apart su stantially without stretching the metal in planes perpendicular to the original dinection of the cuts and arallel to each other.

15. The Within described method of forming expanded metal, which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every other row of keys in one direction away from the normal plane of the metal and every intermediate row of keys in the o posite direction to form in the cut or slashes metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially ,to the coningly located on opp tours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connecting key between them in the ex anded metal and engaging the corrugate sheet at the ke s and drawing the same substantially wit out stretchin D the metal in substantially parallel and straight lines to ex and the sheet;

16. The within escribed method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in forming in the slashed or cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of-which correspond substantiallyto the contours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connectin key between them in the expanded meta and engaging the corrugated sheet at the keys and dra the same substantiall without stretc t e metal insubstantialiiy; parallel and straight lines to expand the s eet.

17. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in first corrugating the sheet to shorten the sheet in the direction of the cuts to permit the expansion of the sheet by opening the cuts therein 1) forcing. or drawing points correspondingy located on op osite sides of the; cuts relatively apart in en tantiallyk straight lines in planes to t e original direction of t then forcing or drawing points corres 0ndosite sides 0 the without a cuts, and

cuts relatively apar t substantildl B5 stretching "the metal in substanti y straight erpendieular keys in the gated vversely of the cuts, t

lines in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts.

18. The within described method of forming expanded metal, which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every other row of keys in one direction away from the normal plane of the metal and ever intermediate row of opposite direction to form in the cut or slashed metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts. ,the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of any two bars on'the same side of a mesh with. the connectin key between them in the expanded meta and engaging the corrugated sheet at the ke s and drawing the same substantially wit out stretching the metal in substantially parallel and straight lines extending substantially in a plane tlr ansverse to the plane of the corrus .eet.

19. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in forming in the slashed or cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of an two bars on the same side of a mesh with t 'ie connectin key between them in theexpanded meta and engaging the corrugated sheet at such keys and drawing the same substantially without stretching the metal in substantially parallel and straight lines extending substantially in a plane transverse to the plane of the corrugated sheet.

20. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in first corrugating the sheet to shorten the sheet in'the direction of the cuts to per-' mit the expansion of the sheet by opening forcing or drawing the cuts therein by y located on op osite points corresponding sides of thecuts relatively apart in su stantially straight lines in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cuts and parallel to each other 'and thendorcing or drawing points correspondingly located on opposite sides of the cuts relatively apart substantially without stretching 'the metal in substantially straight lines in planes perpendicular to the original direction of the cute and parallel to each other.

21; The within described method of forming expanded metal which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leavev alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every other rowof keys in one direction away from the normal plane of the metal and every intermediate row of keys in the opposite'direction-to form in the cut or slashed metal corru ations extending transe contours of which correspond substantially to the contours .of any two bars on th'e'same side of a mesh with the connect key between themin the expanded metal a i id forcing or bending every other transversely extending row of ars in the posite direction from that in which they lie in the corrugated sheet.

22. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in forming in the slashed or cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of an two bars on the same side of a mesh with t e connecting key between them in the expanded metal and forc' or bendin every other transversely exte iid'ng row of are in the opposite direction from that in which they lie in the corrugated sheet.

23. The within described method of forming expanded metal which consists in forming alternating series of interrupted cuts in the metal to leave alternating keys between the cuts and forcing every other row of keys in one direction away from the normal plane of the metal and every intermediate row of keys in the opposite direction to form in the cut or slashed metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspond substantially to the contours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connecting ke between them in the expanded metal and orcing or bending substantially without stretching the -metal every other transversely extending row of bars in the opposite direction from that in which they lie in the corrugated sheet.

24. The within described method of expanding a slashed sheet of metal which consists in forming in the slashed or cut metal corrugations extending transversely of the cuts, the contours of which correspondsubstantially to the contours of any two bars on the same side of a mesh with the connecting key between them in the expanded metal and forcing or bending substantially without stretching the metal every other transversely extending row of bars in the opposite direction from, that in which they lie in the corrugated sheet.

WM. Hi OOOLEY. Witnesses:

OSBORNE F. GURNEY, Lo'r'rm W001).

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