|
Title: |
1880 Article-Ferracute Machine Co., Foot & Power Drawing Presses |
|
Source: |
American Machinist, 03 Jul 1880, pg. 1 |
|
Insert Date: |
7/17/2015 9:55:37 PM |
Presses for Working Sheet Metals
One of the prominent industries of this country is the manufacture of various articles in sheet metals, and for this trade a few firms have made a specialty of machinery adapted for producing work economically and rapidly. We illustrate herewith two presses manufactured by the Ferracute Machine Company, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, who are prominent among the manufacturers in this line of tools.
Fig. 1 shows a foot press designed for any general work, such as cutting out and forming up tops and bottoms for cans of all kinds, cutting out tin-ware and for punching any light sheet iron work. It has a frame A, mounted on three legs, on which hook shelves B, B, to hold the sheets of tin. The hole through the bed is square, and over it lies a removable bolster-plate E, with a five inch round hole for light work. The slide-bar D, is of dove tail section, six inches wide, and works in adjustable bearing twelve inches long. It has a slot through its center in which works a friction roller attached to the end of main lever C. The latter has adjustable weights at F, to be put on for heavy weight, and is driven from treadle H, by pitman G, which has 21 inches adjustment in length. This can be set very accurately by the swivel, which locks with a hand wheel, and requires no wrench. The treadle has a rubber bumper at K, and the "treadle-stop" L, the same. The latter is adjustable by a handle nut at M, by which the treadle can be set to any length of stroke desired. It is suitable for six inch combination dies and other lighter work. On account of the accuracy in slide bearings, &c, it is also particularly adapted for cutting any irregular shapes in tin or other light sheet metals, up to eight inches square. It is provided with differential die clamps. N, N, which are made to adjust sidewise to suit different widths of dies. A hollow bolt or sleeve is secured in a slot through the bed and bolster-plate by a large nut underneath, and on its lower end has a screw of nine threads per inch, on which runs a hand wheel 0. Through this sleeve slides a hardened steel bolt with a hooked head at the top, and at the bottom a screw thread of ten per inch, running on which is a flanged nut. The steel bolts being swung around with their heads over the die and allowed to drop upon it, the wheels, 0, 0, are rundown until they strike the flanged nuts. The latter then revolve with them, but do not descend quite so fast, owing to the varying pitch of screws.
This "differential" action tightens the die with great force. The wheels leave the nuts and run up rapidly on their single screws when it is wished to relieve the pressure. This clamp is durable and simple, consisting of but 4 working pieces. The hole in the bed can be enlarged to 8x14 inches, intersected by a 10½ inch round hole if desired. The frame can also be heightened, giving 6 inches more room than usual under the slide bar. This is useful for bending up square can bodies.
Fig. 2 shows a power-drawing press for making deep edged work in tin, thin sheet iron, copper or brass. It will cut and draw heavy lantern and lamp work, rim covers (for pails, &c.,) tea-pot breasts, butter dishes, pie plates, 1, 1½ and 2 quart (so called) milk pans, or any other work in tin, thin sheet iron, or brass, not more than 2 inches deep by 10 inches diameter, or if only 1 inch deep up to 12 inch diameter, one at a time. Where 2 blanks are drawn at once it will make up to 1 quart pans. The operation of the press is as follows: The outer and inner slide-bars descend together until the dies have cut the outer one, stopping as soon as the "holding" die reaches the blank, while the inner one, with the punch attached, continues to the bottom of its stroke. As soon as the work is done they both return to their upper position. The outer slide-bar is driven down by two steel cams resting on steel rollers, and the inner slide-bar or plunger by an eccentric which gives a positive motion in both directions. The springs (which are set with screw adjustments) merely raise the weight of the outer slide-bar, and as they arc amply large and long the slide-bar cannot "stick down." The plate on lower end of outer slide-bar, to which upper die fastens, is arranged with a screw sleeve for adjustment, and with three bolts which can be set separately so that the holding surface of the upper die is brought into a parallel plane with that of the lower, thus causing the work to be drawn evenly all around. The inner slide-bar or plunger is arranged so it can be revolved to any desired position and locked after the dies are set. This is a great advantage for o\al, square, or irregular shaped work. To those not acquainted with the "drawing" process it may be interesting to know that it consists in holding the "blank" of sheet metal between 2 flat surfaces under pressure (sometimes several tons), whilst the central descending punch draws it from between them in a conical or cylindrical shape, leaving the sides without wrinkles—the metal being "upset" or thickened circumferentially, and stretched or drawn out radially, as the outer parts are reduced in diameter. |
|
|