STAMPING OF METALS 



883 



1890 



fig. 1889 is a section, taken through the middle of the pair of dies, showing the space 

 in which the metal is pressed to form the spoon. 



To manufacture spoons, ladles, or forks, according to his improved process, Mr. Haynes 

 first forges out the ingot into flat pieces, of the shape and dimensions of the die of 

 the intended article ; and if a spoon or ladle is to be made, gives a slight degree of 

 concavity to the bowl part; but, if necessary, bends the back, in order that it may lie 

 more steadily and bend more accurately, upon the lower die ; if a fork, he cuts or 

 otherwise removes portions of the metal at those parts which will intervene between 

 the prongs ; and, having thus produced the rude embryo of the intended article, 

 scrapes its entire surface clean and free from oxidation, scale, or fire-strain, when it is 

 ready to be introduced into the stamping machine. 



He now fixes the lower die in the bed of the stamping machine, shown at a, a, in the 

 elevations Jigs. 1890 and 1891, and fixes, in the hammer b, the upper or counter die, 



c, accurately adjusting them 

 both, so that they may corre- 

 spond exactly when brought 

 together. He then places the 

 rudely-formed article above de- 

 scribed upon the lower die, and 

 having drawn up the hammer 

 to a sufficient elevation, by a 

 windlass and rope, or other ordi- 

 nary means, lets go the trigger, 

 and allows the hammer, with 

 the counter die to fall upon the 

 under die, on which the article 

 is placed ; when, by the blow 

 thus given to the metal, the true 

 and perfect figure and pattern 

 of the spoon, ladle, or fork is 

 produced, and which, as before 

 said, will only require the re- 

 moval of the slight edging of 

 barb, or fin, with polishing, to 

 finish it. 



On striking the blow, in the 

 operation of stamping the arti- 

 cle, the hammer will recoil and 

 fly up some distance, and if 

 allowed to fall again with re- 

 iterated blows, would injure 



both the article and the dies ; therefore, to avoid this inconvenience, he causes 

 the hammer on recoiling to be caught by a pair of palls locked into racks on the 

 face of the standards, seen in the figures ; the hammer b, of the stamping machine, 

 is seen raised and suspended by a rope attached to a pair of jointed hooks or holders, 



d, d, the lower ends of which pass into eyes e, c, extending from the top of the 

 hammer. When the lever or trigger t, is drawn forward, as in fig. 1890, the two 

 inclined planes, g, g, on the axle, h, press the two legs of the holders, d, d, inward, and 

 cause their hooks or lower ends to be withdrawn from the eyes, e, e, when the hammer 

 instantly falls, and brings the dies together: such is the ordinary construction of the 

 stamping machine. 



On the hammer falling from a considerable elevation, the violence of the blow 

 causes it to recoil and bound upwards as before mentioned ; it therefore becomes 

 necessary to catch the hammer when it has rebounded, in order to prevent the dies 

 coming again together ; this is done by the following mechanism : 



Two latch-levers, i, i, are connected by joints to the upper part of the hammer, and 

 two pall-levers, k, k, turning upon pins, are mounted in the bridge, I, affixed to the 

 hammer. Two springs, in, in, act against the lower arms of these levers, and press 

 them outwards, for the purpose of throwing the palls at the lower ends of the levera 

 into the teeth of the ratchet racks, n, n, fixed on the sides of the upright standards. 



Previously to raising the hammer, the upper ends of the pall-levers, k, are drawn 

 back, and the latches, i, being brought down upon them, as in Jig. 1890, the levers, k, 

 are confined, and their palls prevented from striking into the slide racks ; but as the 

 hammer falls, the ends of the latches, i, strike upon the fingers, o, o, fixing to the side 

 standards, and liberate the palls, the lower ends of which, when the hammer rebounds, 

 after stamping, catch into the teeth of the racks, as in fig. 1891, and thereby prevent 

 the hammer from again descending. 



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