FLANGING-MACHINES. A variety of new forms are presented.
The Dania F7anging-Machinv.—Fig.1 represents a boiler-head flanging machine, built by I. B. Davis & Son, of Ilartford, Conn., designed for flanging heads of any size from 38 to 90 in. diameter, and of any thickness required within those Midis of size. In the center of the machine is a revolving plate. driven by a powerful train of gears, and which is adapted to receive and drive the former over which the head is formed. At t he back of the machine are two arms having 'l'-slots, by which are attached gauge-1)1oeks, having swinging by which the head is centered on the former. The follower plate is then brought down on to the head by means of the screw and hand-wheel at the top. This follower is so made as to bear hardest at the outside, and comes down with an outward pressing motion, which keeps the head straight and flat on the former while being turned. The machine is then set in motion, and the straight or " break-down " roll brought against the edge by means of the large screw in the bed. This roll is so mounted as to enable it to be pre sented at any desired angle, and can then be gradually brought to a vertical position by means of the hand-screw on the carriage, being kept up to the head at the same time by means of the large hand-wheel and screw. The fin ishing-roll, which is made of the shape it is desired the head to be, is at the opposite side of the machine, and is brought up to the head in the same manner, though it is fixed in a vertical position. As the first roll is bringing the edge of the head down to the former, the finish ing-roll is brought up and com pletes the head. Hooks are placed in the follower, which take hold of the lower edge of the head, so that it is drawn off by means of the hand-wheel and screw on the top of the machine.
Clark's Boller-Bead Flang ing- Machine, made by Jacob Clark, of Germantown, Pa., is shown in Fig. 2. The plate to be flanged is clamped between two disks and rotated with its edge projecting over a short vertical roller. A swiveling-roller turns the flange down as the plate passes quite rapidly under it. This upper or swiveling roller is carried in a housing supported by two parallel levers, which are actuated by worm-gearing and hand-wheel, as shown. By the motion obtained by the combined action of the parallel levers the upper roll swivels from a horizontal to a vertical position, directly round the center of the fillet in the head being flanged, giving a smooth. easy motion for the flow of the metal into its new form.
The saddles carrying the two rollers are adjustable along the bed, thus making heads of vary ing diameters without formers-. No hole is necessary in the plate. Heads of exactly uniform diameters are made as rapidly as the furnace can heat them.
Kent's 1"langing-..11achine.—Figs. 3, 4. 5. and 6 show a machine (patented by William Kent, February 15, 1887) for bending and flanging connecting pieces or saddles for water-tube boilers or shapes of similar con struction in which two parallel plates of metal require to be flanged in oillosite directions. The connecting piece to he made by the machine is shown in Fig. 3. Re ferring to Figs. 4, 5, 6, the follow ing is a description of the machine: A is the frame of the machine. 13 C are shafts, having mounted thereon, outside the frame, gear wheels, adapted to mesh with each other. F Fare leaves pivoted be tween the sides of the frame so as to be capable of a swinging move ment, while at the same time, when in their normal position they are in the same horizontal plane with the ledge between them, thus forming a platform upon which the blank may be placed. To the inside of each leaf are secured segment-gears with which mesh the cogs !Ion the shafts B C. Upon the blank I is superimposed an anvil, J, of suitable shape. according to the product desired. By turning the wheels external to the frame the cogs Ii will operate in conjunction with the segment-gears 0 to fold the leaves F upward. This opera tion is continued until the leaves have caused the blank to be bent at the desired angle (iii this instance a right angle), when the blank is ready for the operation of the flanging mechanism, as seen at Fig. 4. The mechanism for flanging consists of a series of rolls, L, preferably three in number, the outside edges of all but one being beveled. These rolls are journaled within a box, .,V, secured on a shaft, 0. This shaft 0 is mounted within suitable bearings on cross pieces, P. secured to the frame, and is operated by gearing (not shown). As the shaft is re volved the rolls will gradually bend the edges of the blank and form thereon an outwardly projecting flange, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.