large old shear - McSherry's Hercules

[tedzap]

I picked up an old lever shear, here is the plate:

It is mounted on a block of wood that must be 12x12, and the handle is about 6' long. I have no idea what thickness metal it can cut, but the blades are in good shape and it came with a spare set.

Anyone eve come across one of these before ? I am somewhat familiar with the Beverly's, but this one is huge in comparison.

If I start cutting thicker and thicker stock, what will be the signs be that I am asking too much from it?

Although it doesn't have the curving throatless design of the Beverly, the sheetmetal has a pretty straight shot without obstruction. Here is an attempt to photograph the shearing surfaces:

Any info would be appreciated!

 

[neophyte]

This may be the US Patent.

The Inventor and Original Assignee was Charles Mcsherry, Patent US 660197 A, filed 3 May 1900, and Published 23 Oct 1900.

http://www.google.com.et/patents/US660197

The same inventor has another patent for what appears to be some type of combination shear "Metal-working tool".

https://www.google.com.et/patents/U...ved=0CBMQ6AEwAGoVChMIj7q-l9mAyQIVzDUmCh0FaQrY

 

[neophyte]

This is something I found on Google books. I don't know whether it specifically refers to the shear you have.

<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=mOE-AQAAMAAJ&dq=hercules%20shear&pg=PA138&ci=55%2C698%2C404%2C308&source=bookclip"><img src="https://books.google.com/books?id=mOE-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA138&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U1IaT03KVgtnTV4tRi-E0C6I8ov2A&ci=55%2C698%2C404%2C308&edge=0"/></a>

Sorry it's sort of hard to read.

"You ll Be Surprised at the amount of work the Hercules Shears will accomplish tor you Place them in your foundry blacksmith and fol rte departments tool room mar hintshop and assembly department Hercules Shears are made in sinttle and double duty types as a shear or as a rod cutter and shear combined Six sizes provide a range of capacities up to 3/? in for iron and mild steel rods and up to ? in for iron and mild steel flats WA & CF Tucker Hartford Conn "

 

[tedzap]

If using it for long cuts on sheetmetal, the path for the offcut has to bend down and away a bit... but not a lot and it could be used that way.

The length of the lever arm is so long that doing any kind of "rocking horse" on sheet metal would be a pain. I expect this thing is meant for cutting tube or angle iron.

The wooden block is on a set of small non-locking casters, convenient but it probably limits the amount of force you can apply. Self imposed design?

 

[txvwnut]

More than likely that's a plate shear. I have a modern version style and it will do up to 3/16 steel and 1/4 aluminum. You'll know when you've hit max capacity with it as you won't be able to pull through the cut. They are handy to have but when using it you need to watch what you are cutting as on mine it will try and pull the material and you end up with an out of square cut.