Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Forming Metallic Spokes for Wheels.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Forming Metallic
Spokes for Wheels.
We, HENRY BERRY and JOHN RICHARD MUSGRAVE, both of the Croydon Works,
Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for bending
suitable metallic bars to form spokes of metallic or composite wheels, for which
purpose we use a block or form having a configuration corresponding to the interior
shape of the spoke to be produced, in combination with mechanism for effecting the
bending or wrapping of a metallic bar around such form by hydraulic pressure acting
in the direction of the centre line of the form, (which corresponds to a line radial to
the centre of the wheel of which the spoke when formed will be a part,) and mechanism
for removing the spoke from the form.
The metallic bar is heated and whilst hot is placed in the machine and pressed
against the form by hydraulic pressure acting through a piston or ram whilst the bar
is thus held, the parts of the bar projecting at the respective sides beyond the form
acted upon by rollers which press those parts into contact with the edge of the form,
thus giving to the bar the shape of the required spoke.
The rollers that offect this are operated by hydraulic power through a piston and
connecting links or rod and links, and are guided by guides corresponding to the
general outward shape of the spoke to be made, suitable anti-friction rollers being
arranged to travel in contact with these guides.
The holding up piston or ram having retired, a pusher operated by another piston or
ram (also actuated by hydraulic power,) at right angles to those already mentioned,
pushes the spoke off the form and then retires, after which the bending piston or ram
together with the links and rollers resume their backward position ready for the intro-
duction of another spoke bar.
The valves for controlling the action of holding up and the pusher off rams are
hereinafter referred to.
Referring to the annexed drawings
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of a machine in accordance with our invention.
Fig. 2. is a front elevation.
Fig. 3. is a plan, and Fig. 4, a horizontal section on the line 1. 1. of Fig. 1.
The same letters are used to denote like parts in all the Figures where they occur.
a is the standard of the machine with a part b, arranged for the attachment of
various portions of mechanism, c, a form around which a spoke bar d, has to be
bent, e, a ram (or it may be a piston) in the cylinder f, actuated by hydraulic
pressure for holding a spoke bar d, on its introduction into the machine against the
form c.
9, is a cylinder with its piston g¹ (or ram) also actuated by hydraulic
power; to the rod of the piston (or the ram) are connected links h, h, with rollers h¹, h¹,
one arranged at each side of the form c, for acting on the spoke bar d, and
rollers, adapted to take against and be guided by the inclined guides i. i, during
the bending of the spoke bar., and constitute a double acting piston (or ram)
adapted to act at right angles to the plane in which the bending of the spoke bar takes
place; it pushes the newly formed spoke from the form c, and retires, after which the
piston (or ram) 9 returns to the starting point ready for the introduction into the
machine of another bar to be formed into a spoke.
;
As previously referred to the valves for controlling the action of the holding up
ram e, and the ram j, for pushing a bent spoke from c, but which form no part
of the present invention, are so constructed that while the induction port to one

page_text: ram is open the eduction port of the other is also open (and contrariwise) so that
the two rams cannot be acting in a forward direction at the same time.
The retirement of the pusher or ram j, is effected by pressure from a hydraulic
accumulator which is always acting upon the annular portion of the small piston j',
and being a prolongation of the ram j, and of less diameter as shewn, it will be
obvious that when the forward or pushing motion of j, has taken place and the
valves reversed so as to open the eduction port of j, the pressure upon, from the
accumulator will cause the pusher, to retire. The bending action of the piston g',
with the links h, h, and the rollers, and 2, is at the command of the operator, and
when bending of a spoke bar has taken place its action is arrested by automatic
mechanism (not shown) that cuts off the moving medium, which may be from the
hydraulic accumulator above referred to or other source.
our said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed wo declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a machine for forming spokes for wheels, the combination of (a) a form,
(b) a ram or piston, actuated by hydraulic pressure, adapted to hold against such form
a bar to be bent; (c) rollers conuected with and so as to be operated by another ram
or piston, also actuated by hydraulic pressure; and (d) guides adapted to cause the
said rollers when the machine is at work to press the bar against the form and bend
it to the shape of a spoke as set forth.
2. In a machine such as referred to in the preceding claim, a pusher or double
acting ram such as j,j, actuated by hydraulic pressure, adapted to remove the newly
formed spoke from the form and then retire as set forth.
3. Our improved spoke forming machine substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 14th day of August 1889.
HENRY BERRY.
JOHN RICHARD MUSGRAVE.