US1482600A - Method of and machine for producing expanded-sheet-metal articles - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1924 L. E. CURTIS METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTI CLES Filed Sept 30.

1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 wn mw E n LN NM 3 Q 1N VENTOR.

A TTORNEKJ.

Feb, 5; 1924.:

L. E. CURTIS METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTICLES.

Filed Sept. 30, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 n NM Hm w HHHH nmfi w .H. FR M 6m mm m N I N V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYJ'.

Feb. 5, 1924. 1,482,600 L. E. CURTIS METHoD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 30 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 f Y I \I) A 12 6'0 15 i Q INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS. I

Feb. 5, 1924; 1,482,600 L. E. CURTIS METHQD AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 30, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 two 01 ATTORNEYS,

Feb. 5, .1924." 1,4826% E. CURTIS METHOD OF AND' MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTiCLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 30, 1921 INVENTOR:

A TTORNEYJ.

- Y @m WMQAW Feb 5, 1924. 1,482,6W

* ,L. E. CURTIS METHOD QFAND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 30, 1921' 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 fig jl.

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A 7 'TORNEYJ.

IASZEUQ 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 5; 1924. 1 L. E. CURTIS METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED SHEET METAL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 30, 1921 H|l I I A INVEA'TOR: 1 (5 @123,

Lmlmw FatentedFelh. 5, 1924.

rename entrain stares enranrosmca.

LEWIS 1E1 CURTIS, OF WARREN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO MILWAUKEE CORRUGATING: COLL PANY, 0E GREENIEIELD, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING EXPANDED-SHEET-IJIETAL ARTICLES.

Application filed September 30, 1921. Serial No. 504,336.

To all wkom'z't may concern.

Be it known that I, LEWIS E. CUR'rIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and State'of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Machines for Producing Expanded-S'heetapparatus for the purpose.

It consists in the method or process and in the construction, arrangement and comb1- nation of parts'of apparatus for performing the method or process as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a machine for carrying out the method or process in accordance with the invention in the manufacture of sheet-metal corner beads or plaster terminals having guiding ribs or beads and expanded wings, like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corner bead'machine embodying a part of the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section onthe line 2-2, Fig.1, showing the arrangement of the lower cutters; Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of the lower cutter holder; Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sideelevation of the same and associated parts; Fig. 5 is an enlarged front end elevation of the ma chine; Fig. 6 is an'enlarged rear end elevation of the machine; Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross section on the line 7-7, Fig.

1; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged detail views in elevation and section taken in planes indicated by the lines 88, 9- 9 and 10-10 respectively, Fig. 2, showing the bead finishing andIWing straightening and truing mechanism at the delivery end of the ma chine; Fig. 11 isa partial projection viewed in the direction of the arrow 11, Fig. 10, of the wing straightening mechanism, shown in side elevation in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a full size side elevation of a number of cutters ,illustrating in connection with a partially expanded piece of sheet-metal, their operation; Fig. 13 is a lan view of the partially slitted and expanded sheet shown in 'edge or side elevation in Fig. 12 and Fig. 14: is an enlarged partial inverted plan view of the cross head on which the upper cutters are mounted.

The Golding and Durkee Patent.38l,230

of April 17, 1888, and the GoldinglPatent.

381,231 of the same date, are the first so far as I am aware, to disclose machines of the type to which th present invention pertains, having reciprocating slitting and expanding cutters, in which the blank-sheets are fed lengthwise of the slits, but in these machines the sheets are advanced the distance of one slit or mesh only at a time, a-slit being made and the adjoining strand simultaneously bent to form a single mesh in each longitudinal row of meshes with each advance of the sheet, and one set of cutters is shifted lengthwise alternately in opposite directions after each advance of the sheet, so that the slits in adjacent longitudinal lines will be staggered, and the slits of each line will be opposite the bonds between the slits of the adjacent line or lines.

The. Golding Patents 527,242 of October 9, 1894, and"581,713 of March 4.,- 1897, describe and show a process and machine by which rows of slits are cut 'one row at a time the full length of a sheet and the resulting strands are: simultaneously bent and stretched one row at a time to form the meshes, but with-such process and machine the-sheets are fed transversely to the slits the width of a single strand-at a time, and the sheet is shifted back and forth lengthwise' of the cutters th distance or half a slit or mesh alternately with its step by step advance movement.

The Pitkin Patent 619,340 of February 14, 1899 and the Fordyce and Duncan Patent 643,640 of February 20, 1900, each shows and describes a machine for simultaneously 1 slitting and expanding sheet metal, having converging series of rotary cutters In these machines the sheets are te'd cont tinuously to the cutters, each or each coact- V ing pair of which, makes one row of slits and simultaneously bends and Stretches the strands to form a single row of meshes, and each cutter or coacting pair of cutters, forms a plurality of slits one after another to each revolution. The rotary cutters are thus necessarily 'of considerable diameter, and

' consecutive cutters are spaced apart lengthwise of the machine a distanceequal to several slits or meshes, thereby unduly lengthening the machines and making them fun- 'wieldy'and cumbersome. 1

i The Clark Patent 1,146,554: of July 13,- 1915, shows and describes a sheet metal slitting machine having reciprocating wedgeshaped cutters arranged to make with each reciprocation two diverging series of aligned slits oblique tothe direction of feed andto the side mar ins of-the sheet. machine the s eets are advanced step by step the distance between consecutive slits in the direction of feed, thus limiting the feed and f correspondingly limiting the output of the d0 slit or mesh at a time. This patent also commachine.- This machine. contemplates the row of aligned slits parallel with the side margins of thesheets and in the direction of feed, the slits being cutprogressively from the center towards the sides of the areas to be slitted in transverse rows, and the sheets being fed step by step the lengthoffa single templates preliminarily providing the sheets with stifi'ening grooves or ribs and subsequently ex anding the same in "a separate machine in e'pendently ofthe slitting mechanism.

By my improved method and with my improved machine, the sheet is intermittently advanced by intervals, each corresponding with a plurality of aligned slits, and a plu rality of aligned slits are cut andthe strands thus made are'simultaneous'ly' expanded into -meshes ineach of a number of rows parallel with each other and withthe 3.(lV&Il08'IIl0VG-= ment of the sheet, beginning adjacent one longitudinal edge of the sheet and progress-i ing towards the other edge. lin these respects the present method: and

machine differ from those disclosed-in'the foregoing patents and are adapted to in.- crease the output of such methods and machines, particularly for certain products such as plaster terminals of various kinds, corner beads, etc.', having ribs or beads.

Referring to the drawing, showing for the;

With this "neaacoo.

purpose ofillustration, a machine specially designed for making corner beads or plaster ticular purpose for which the machine is de signed, each set of cutters is arranged in two rows converging towards the deliveryend of-the machine, as shown in Figs. 2 and 14. The slitting and expanding cutters 1 of the upper set, are adjustably mounted on and movable with a vertically reciprocating horizontal cross head 4,- which is guided at its ends, as shown in Fig. 1, by ways in uprights or end members 5 of the'frame, which comprises a base 6 and an arched tie beam 7, supported at its ends by and connecting the upper ends of the uprights 5.

The cross head 4: is adjustably connected at intervals by links 9 with cranks or eccentrics of ashaft 10, which is supported at intervals by hearings in the uprights 5 and geflll 7, above and parallel with the cross The shaft 10 may be driven and a vertical reciprocating movement imparted to the cutters'l, by any suitable power connection, for example, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, by an electric motor 12, supported by a bracket 13 on one of the frame uprights 5, and proyided with a pinion 14, meshing with a gear 15 mounted 'on one end of said shaft, preferably'the rear end, and made heavy, as shown, to serve as a fly or balance wheel.

The cutters 1, shown in Figs. 7, 12 and 14, formed for convenience in transversely corrugated or ribbed and grooved blocks.

with four interchangeable cutting edges, are fastened with transversely'fianged or ribbedbacking plates 17 by clamps 18 to the under side of the cross head. The individual cutters, as shown in Fig. 12, have cutting edges of slightly truncated ll-shape, and are arranged in a number of parallel series, each consisting of a plurality of cutters hav ing their edective cutting edges longitudinally aligned withand separated from one another in the direction in which the sheets are fed through the machine, as hereinafter explained;

In the present case three cutters are formed integrally with one another in a single block, but the number to each block fand in each longitudinally aligned series, as

well as the construction of the cutters,v be varied.

In the present case the cutter blocks, each may constituting a longitudinally aligned series of cutters, are adjusted transversely to take up. wear and to work properly' with the lower stationary cutters 2 by means of screws 20, threaded in marginal flanges on lltl l I the outer sides of the cross head'.d,.and fastened in adjusted position therein by lock nuts 21-. The cross head 4 is connected with the links 9 by pivot blocks 23, bolted to the upper side thereof withinterposedwedges 24, which are connectedwith the crosshead by adjusting screws 25, threaded therein and engaging at their heads with .down

wardly extending notched ears on the larger ends of the wedges. The wedges 2 and screws afiord means for ad- Figl.

ill

The lower cutters 2, which are of flat uadrangular form and have four interc angeable cutting edges-each of somewhat greater length than the total length of a single series of aligned upper cutters 1, as shown in Fig. 12, are mounted as shown in Figs. 1. 2, 3, 4t and 7, on opposite sides of a stepped bar or sup orting member 31, which is bolted or rigid y fastened to the base 6 below and parallel with the cross head 4. The cutters 2 are thus arranged parallel with one another in two rows converging towards. the delivery end of the machine and corresponding in arrangement with the upper reciprocating cutters 1, with which they are adjusted tocooperate. The several cutters are fastened to the bar 31 by clamps 32 and bolts 33 passing through the clamps and bar and provided at their ends with nuts. The cutters 2 are adjusted vertically on the bar 31 to properly cooperate with the movable cutters 1, and to compensate for wear, by wedges 35 iind 36 interposed between the lower edges of the cutters and shoulders at the lower ends of the cutter seats on the bar, and by adjusting screws 37, threaded in outwardly projecting ears on the larger ends ofthe' wedges 36 and engaging adjacent sides of the clamps 32, as shown in Figs. 1 and d. a

.On an extension braehet or table 39 of the base 6 at the front end of the machine, are

,mounted', as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, a

longitudinally aligned series of pairs of of the upper rolls 41 are -mounted in vertica lly movable bearings 4L2, which are pivotally connected with standards 4-3 and tit, and yieldingly connected therewith by bolts 45 and adjustable springs id. The shafts of the upper yielding rolls &1 are connected by gears 47 and 4:8 with the shafts of the lower rolls 40. and the, shafts of the rolls 40 which y means of wedges 27.

gitudinal guide 6h, havin and heading rolls 40, 4:1. The shafts are mounted in bearings 49 and 50, are pro vided at the ends opposite the rolls with bevel gears 51. The gears 51 mesh with similar gears 53 on a longitudinal shaft 54, mounted in bearings 55 on the machine frame. The shaft 5d is intermittently rotated through the medium of a Geneva gear 57, shown in Fig. 6. I The driving member of the Geneva gear is connected by a chain or link belt 58 and chainwheels or pulleys 59.

and 60, with the front end of the crank shaft 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The feedrand beadin rolls 4:0 and 41 are made to progressively ormon the sheets to be slit and ex ended-as they enter the ma- Gill chine,'upwar ly projecting guiding beads which are primarily open on the under side of the sheets, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, and the feeding mechanism is adapted to ad- Vance the sheet step bystep the. length of a single series of longitudinally aligned cuttersl, in the present case three cutters,

while said. cutters are withdrawn upwardly from the stationary cutters 2. The downward movement of the V-shapedcutters 1 is limited, so that the slits cut by each series of cutters will be separated from one another, leaving bonds, say of about one-eighth of an inch in length, between them, to alternately connect the strands of the successively formedlongitudinal rows of meshes, as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13.

At the .delivery end of the machine, one or more pairs of rolls 62 and 63, conforming to the final shape of the corner beads, are mounted like or similarly to the rolls 40 and 41, on an extension bracket or table 64., and are intermittently driven in like manner, by gears 51 and 53 from the shaft 54.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the lower cutter bar or member 31 is provided with a lonan upwardly projecting rib or tongue liich fits loosely into the under 0 en sides of the longitudinal guiding beads formed in the sheets by the rolls d0 ond d1, Directly above this guide 66, the cross head 41- is provided with a longitudinal guide and stripper 67, located between the two rows of cutters 1,'and fitting a central longitudinal channel in the under side of the cross head, with which it is yieldingly connected by bolts or rods 68 passin, loosely upward through the cross head an mil lltl

provided at their upper ends with stop nuts which adj ustably limit the downward movement ofthe gulde and stripper relative to the cross head. Springs 69, inserted in suchets in the crosshead around the bolts, and

bearing against the upper-side of the guide and stripper which has a longitudinal groove in the under side, press it yieldingly downward towards the cutter bar or member 31,

holding in engagement with the upwardly pro ecting ribs on the sheets as they pass through themachine, and thereby directing the feed and beading ro the sheets parallel withthe-inner outt' edges or faces of the cutters .in proper posr 'tion to be operated upon thereby. 1 y P At the front end of the machine mounted on the bracket 39, is a table 71, upon which the sheets to be fed to the'machine are placed and directed in lprrgber P$SilO/Ilfili0 s an etween the feed and beadin rolls roam-41 and the slitting and ex an n cutters 1 and- 2', the machine is provi ed in a i ment with the guide-66 with a tongued gpi e73, shown in Big. 1, which is adapted y engagement with the open ooves formed by the beads on the under si e of the sheets,-to direct the beadsint'o engagement with the guides 66 v and 67.

At the rear end of the machine between the adjacent upright 5 and the rolls 62 and mounted onthe bracket 64, as shown in 63, head forming and finishing mechanism is- .3 1 and 2. This'mechanism, as shown and igs. 8-and 9 in connection with Figs. 1

and'2, comprises two parallel laterally movable bead shaping dies 75, and a verticallymovable die 76, located centrally above and. I parallel with the dies 75. The dies 75 are 7 adfiustablv fastened by bolts 78 to the under e of slides or heads 79, which are guided at-their ends in horizontal ways on a'stand 'or' en port 80, mounted on the bracket 64.

The s ides or heads 7 9 are connected by links 82 with cranks-on rocker shafts 83, mounted on the stand or support 80, and. adjacent the outer sides 0 the slides. or heads. The crank'shafts 83 are provided at their rear ends with inwardly extending rocker arms 84,'which are connected by. rods 85 with a crank pin'86 mounted, .as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, on the rear'en'd of the' shaftlO or gear 15. The dies 75 are adjusted towards or'froni each otheron the slides or heads 79'by screws 88, the bolts: 78 being loosened. 4 A

.The die 76 "s removably fastened 'in a grooved bar or holder 90, which in turn is fastened to a recessed slide or head 91 and i guided therewith in vertical ways on the stander support 80. The slide orhe'ad 91 is moved u and down synchronously with the outwar slides or heads 79 by a'rocker'shaft 92,- mounted in bearin on the stand or support 80, parallehwlth the crank shafts 83, and provided with rounded crank arms 93 engaging lateral recesses-in the slide or head 91. On the rear end of the shaft 92 is mounted. an arm 96, which is provided at its free end with-an adjustable contactbolt or member held by a spring 95 in en gement with the inner end of one of the rec er arms ,jjf ifi, by which the die 76 is moved down- I wardly agalnst the top ofa head on a. sheet as. the dies aremoved together against'the sides of the head to give it itsifinalshape.

arallel with and inward movement of the.

adapted by eng ment with the bead ooves in. the un er side of the sheets, to irect them to the dies 75 and 76 in proper sition 'for the o ration thereon by said dies, to give the their final shape.

bead finishing and-shaping dies, the guide 97 is shaped like the rib'onthe guide 66,

to engage with the bead gro0ves-.of1-the sheets, as :shown' in Fig. 7. Opposite the From the 'rear end ofthe guide 66 to the I 7 dies 75 and 76,'the upperpart of the. guide 97 is'formed, as shown in Figs. 8. an.dl9,- to permit the dies 75 to close and pressptheq sides of the beads'together, the guide-con forming. to the angle between the wings of the beads and cooperatin with thedieslt o impart the desired final s ape to the; beads. Between the bead shaping and finishin diesandthe feed. or pull-outrolls 62 an 63, the machine is provided with two staggered series of rolls 99, set'atan angle tofastened by bolts 103 to the upwardly (11-- branches of the stand or support 5 vergin 101. he plates or slides 102, with the rolls mounted thereon, are adjusted towards or from the opposin stationarily mounted inner and lower roll s byscrews 105.

At the delivery end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, a guide or supppit 107, is provided for receiving the finis e beads from the rolls 62 and 63.

to straighten or-true-the ex rallel but al- The inner and lower rolls 99 of each I. i

no (1 corner In the drawing, a sheet metal blank shown in certain figuresin' diflerentstages of its- I formation into a corner bead, having -slitted and expanded wings, is designated :12.

.-In the operation of the machine, to produce c'ornerfbeads according to the method constituting apart of the resent invention, the blank sheets are pl on the table 71 head forming ions 40' and 41, by which longitudinal guiding beads are, formed thereon, and they are simultaneously fed step by step between the slitting and exand advanced one at a time to the feed and pending cutters 1 and 2, the distance of asingle. series, in the (present case three, of longitudinally ali e cutters, at a time or -to each step. A r each ste in the advance movement oi the sheet, is e cross head 4 with the several series of cutters 1, descends, and in the first-operation on a sheet, cuts two parallel series of longitudinally aligned slits adjacent to and parallel with the side margins of the sheet as shown at the rightin 13. Simultaneously with the slitting of the sheet, the V-shaped cutters 1, cooperating with the straight edged cutters 2, expand the strands thus formed into meshes or half meshes, as shown in formed slits and strands; thus progressing.

step by step longitudinally the distance of a plurality of longitudinally aligned slits and transversely the width of a single strand on each side of and towards the central guiding bead with each step, additional series of slits and strands beingsimultaneously cut and expanded at each step until both wings of the corner bead are completely expanded. With the expansion of successive rows of strands the wings of the corner bead are gradually bent downward in diverging planes as shown in Figs. 6, 7, '8, 9 and 12.

in .eir passage through the machine, the sheets directed in the proper course and held in the proper position for the operation of the slitting and expanding cutters. 1 and 2, by engagement of the guides66 and 67 with the longitudinal guiding beads formed by the rolls and 41. The upper yielding guide 67, serving as a stripper, holds thesheets in engagement with the lower guide and prevents their being lifted away from the lower cutters 2 by the upward movement of the reciprocating upper cutters 1.

As the sheets pass from the slitting and expanding cutters between the dies and 76, the sides or the beads are pressed together and the desired shape is given to the beads, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Passing from the bead shaping and finishing ,dies between the straightenin or truing rolls 99, the expanded wings of the corner beads which leave the slittin and expanding cutters more or less winding or warped, are straightened and trued to the proper angle with each other.

When the sheets clear the last pair or beading and feeding rolls 40 and 41, they are engaged by the rolls 62 and 63, which continue to draw them intermittently neeaeoo through, the machine, and finally deliver them therefrom upon the guide or support of expanded sheet-metal products such as lathing and plaster terminals of various designs, without departure from the principle and scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of producing expanded sheet-metal articles which consists in advancing a sheet step by step lengthwise of slits aligned tobe cut therein a distance ot a plurality of slits to each step, and simultaneously after each successive advance movement of the sheet cutting. a series of: longitudinally aligned slits in each of a number of parallel series, the slits in each series alternating with those of adjacent series.

2. The method of producing expanded sheet-metal articles which consists in ad-.

vancing a sheet step by step lengthwise of the slits to be out therein a distance of a plurality of slits to each step, and simultaneously after each successive advance 107, from which they may be removed by movement of the sheet cutting a series of longitudir y aligned slits in each o l a number or parallel series, beginning at one side and progressing transversely towards the other side of an area to be expanded as the sheet is'intermittently advanced longitudinally, the slits in each series alternating with those of adjacent series.

3. The method of producing expanded sheet-metal articles which consists in ad- .vancing a sheet step by step lengthwise oi aligned slits and bending and stretching into open meshes the strands thus formed in each of a number of parallelseries, the slits of each series alternating with those of adj acent series.

at. The method of producing expanded sheet-metal articles which consists in intermittently advancing a sheet step by step lengthwise of slits to be cut therein a distance of a plurality of slits to each step, after each advance movement of the sheet simultaneously cutting a series of longitndinally aligned slits in each of a number of parallel series, the slits in the several series alternating with those of adjacent series,

and simultaneously bending into open meshes the strands thus formed, beginning ill) adjacent one end and one side of an area to lie-expanded and progressing transversely and simultaneously cutting a series of longi- Ill till

tudinally aligned slits in each of a number of series parallel with each other and with the head after each successive advance movement of the sheet, the slits in each se ries alternating with those of adjacent serles.

6. The method of producing expanded sheet-metal articles wlnch consists in fornu ing a sheetwith a preliminary longtudinal guiding bead, advancing the sheet lengthwise of and directed bythe bead step b ste a distance of a number oflongitudiha y aligned slits to each step, simultane-- ously cutting a series of such slits and en'- panding the strands thus formed into open' meshes in each of an increasing number of series parallel with each other and with the head after each successive advance movement of the sheet, the slits in each series alternatin with those of adjacent series, and finally torming the head into the shape it is to have in the finished product. p

7. ln a machine for producing expanded Sheet-metal articles, the combination of two sets of cutters, one movable towards and from and adapted to cooperate with the other set to simultaneously cut a series of longitudinally aligned slits in each of a number of parallel series, means for reciproeating one set of cutters towards and from the other set, and means for intermittently advancing a sheet between the opposing cutters lengthwise thereof a distance corre spending with the length of a single series 0 aligned cutters to each step. 1

8. ln a machine for producing expanded sheet-metal articles, the combination of two sets of cutters one of which is movable towards and from and adapted to cooperate with the other, one set comprising a number of parallel series each consisting of a plurality of longitudinally spaced and aligned cutters, the parallel series being spaced longitudinally from one another a distance corresponding with half the length of asingle cutter, means for reciprocating one set of cutters towards and from the other set, and means for intermittently advancing a sheet between the opposing cutters lengthwise thereof the length of a sin le series of aligned cutters at a time, where y the slits in adjacent series are staggered.

9. la a machine for producing expanded aaaaacoi strands thus made into meshes, means for reciprocating the movable cutters, rolls for intermittently advancing sheets between the opposing cutters lengthwise thereof the length of a single series of aligned cutters at a time andtor simultaneously forming longitudinal guiding beads on the sheets as they are fed to the cutters, and a guide adapted by engagement with the beads on the sheets to direct them through themachine parallel with the working edges of the cutters. Y

10. In a machine for producing expanded sheet-metal articles, the combination oft-W0 sets of cutters, one set being movable towards and from the other, each set comprising two rows converging towards the delivery end of the machine, and the two converging rows of one set each comprising a number of longitudinally spaced parallel series each consisting of a plurality of longitudinally aligned and spaced cutters adapted to simultaneously cut a plurality of aligned slits and expand the strands thus formed, means for reciprocating the movable cutters, and means for intermittently advancing sheetsbetween the opposing and cooperating cutters the length of a single series of cutters at a time.

11. In a machine for producing expanded sheet-metal articles, the combination of two sets of cutters one movable towards and from and adapted to cooperate with the other and one set comprising a number of longitudinally spaced parallel series each consisting of a plurality of longitudinally aligned and spaced-slitting and expanding cutters, rolls adapted to intermittently feed sheets between the opposing and cooperating cutters parallel with their cutting edges the length of a single series of cutters at a time and to form guiding beads on the sheets, a guide adapted by engagement with the beads to direct the sheets through the machine. with the beads parallel with the working edges of the cutters, and dies adapted to shape the beads to final form. r

12. In a machine for producing expanded sheet-metal products, the combination of two sets of slitting and expanding cutters, one set movable towards and from and adapted to cooperate with the other, each set comprising two row converging towards the delivery end of the machine, and the two converging rows of one set each comprising a number of longitudinally spaced parllll lllli ltli iaeaeoo allel series each consisting of a plurality of longitudinally aligned and spaced cutters, rolls adapted to intermittently feed sheets between the opposing cutters parallel with their Working edges the length of a single series of cutters at a time and to form longitudinal guiding beads on the sheets, a guide adapted by engagement with the beads to direct the sheets through the machine with the beads parallel with the cutting edges of the cutters, and truing rolls arranged adjacent the delivery end of the machine transversely to and on opposite sides of the line of the guide, and on opposite sides of the paths of the expanded portions of the sheets through the machine.

13. In a machine for producing expanded sheet-1netal articles, the combination of two sets of cutters, one set movable towards and from the other, means for simultaneously reciprocating the movable cutters, one set comprising a number of longitudinally spaced parallel series arranged in a row oblique to the working edges of the cutters,

. and each series consisting of a plurality of longitudinally aligned and spaced slitting and expanding cutters, and means for intermittently advancing sheets between the 0pposing cutters parallel with the several seriesof aligned cutters the length of a single series at a time. 14:. In a machine for producing expanded sheet-metal articles, the combination of two sets of cutters, one set movable towards and from the other, means for simultaneously reciprocating the movable cutters, one set comrising a number of parallel series spaced rom one another longitudinally halt the length of a single mesh and transversely the on sheets to be slit and expanded as they are fed to'the machine, means for intermittently turning said rolls to advance the sheets the length of a plurality of longitudinally aligned cutters at a time, two sets of cutters, oneset movable towards and from the other and adapted to cooperate therewith to simultaneously slit and expand the sheets, means for reciprocating the movable cutters, one set of cutters comprising a number of longitudinally spaced parallel series arranged in a row oblique to the working edges of the cutters and to the direction of feed of the sheets through the machine, and each series consisting of a plurality of longitudinally spaced and aligned slitting and expanding cutters, a longitudinal guiding rib and an upwardly yielding longitudinally grooved stripper arranged to cooperate with the guiding rib to direct the sheets in their proper course through the machine by en gagement with the guiding beads of the sheets. i

In witness whereof 1 hereto affix my sig nature.

LEWIS E. CURTIS.

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