In the American Court of the Inventions Exhibition, London, we find a
leveling machine for sheet metals exhibited by Mr. J.W. Britton, of
Cleveland, Ohio, and which we illustrate.
This apparatus is intended to supersede the cold rolling of plates in
order to take the buckle out of them. The sheets are clamped in the jaws
or grips shown, and the stretch is effected by means of a hydraulic ram
connected directly to the nearest pair of jaws. The power is obtained by
means of a pair of pumps run through spur-gearing by the belt pulleys
shown. The action of the machine puts a strain on those parts of the
plates which are not "bagged" or buckled, and this causes the surface to
extend, the slack parts of the plate not being subject to the same
stretching action. The machine shown is designed to operate on sheet
iron from No. 7 to No. 30 gauge, and up to 36 in. wide, the limit for
length being 120 in. About a dozen sheets can be operated on at once.
The machine appears to have met with considerable success in America,
and has been used for mild steel, iron, galvanized or tinned sheets,
copper, brass, and zinc. The details of this machine are given in Figs.
1 to 8. Figs. 1 and 2 are a plan and side elevation of the bed of the
machine, showing the position of the hydraulic ram. Fig. 3 shows the
bars used for holding the back jaws in position, with the holes for
adjusting to different lengths of the plates. Fig. 4 is a back view and
section of the crosshead and one of the bolts that connect the moving
grip with the hydraulic ram. Fig. 5 gives a plan and cross section of
the back grip, and Fig. 6 is a back elevation of the same, with a front
view and section of the gripping part. Fig. 7 shows the gear by which
the jaws are opened and closed.
[Illustration: BRITTON'S PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE.]
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