Shear machine or the like

Claim 1

A SHEAR MACHINE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIDE HOUSINGS, A WORK SUPPORT SPANNING SAID SIDE HOUSINGS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A LOWER BLADE ADJACENT THE REAR EDGE OF SAID WORK SUPPORT, A RAM ASSEMBLY FOR CARRYING AN UPPER BLADE AT A RAKE ANGLE FOR COOPERATION WITH SUCH LOWER BLADE IN THE SHEARING OF MATERIAL, SAID RAM ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A RAM HAVING REARWARD EXTENSIONS TERMINATING IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL BEARING SURFACES, WITH SAID RAM DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID SURFACES AND IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY INTERSECTING THE LINE OF CUT DURING SHEARING, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SIDE HOUSINGS FOR BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL BEARING SURFACES, MEANS FOR APPLYING A REARWARD HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF FORCE TO SAID RAM ASSEMBLY TO NORMALLY HOLD SAID RAM ASSEMBLY IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BEARING ENGAGEMENT MEANS, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING A VERTICAL COMPONENT OF FORCE TO SAID RAM ASSEMBLY OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO PRODUCE SHEARING, AND A SIMULTANEOUS FORWARD HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF FORCE IN RESPONSE TO THE SPREADING FORCES DEVELOPED BETWEEN BLADES DURING SHEARING.