A NOVEL AND IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HOLLOW SHAFTS, HOLLOW CYLINDERS GENERALLY AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1884

page_text: DILCIFICATION.
We SAMUEL LAKE Engineer and Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM HOPE V.C. both
of The Castle Steel and Iron Works Milford Haven in the County of Pembroke,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "A NOVEL AND IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HOLLOW SHAFTS, HOLLOW CYLINDERS GENERALLY AND
ORDNANCE" to be as follows:
The object sought to be attained is to produce articles of the nature indicated of
a quality superior to anything yet produced, and particularly with a precision and
certainty of result, as to quality soundness, and uniformity, unattainable by any
other process.
We start with tho metal in its fluid condition (whatever the metal to be operated
on may be) and make use of that condition to form it into the shape we require,
by running it into moulds of an altogether exceptional strength, thickness and
weight. The moulds which should be of cast iron, may if desired be lined with a
thin absorbent lining, and may usefully be strengthened by wrought iron or steel
hoops or huge clamps.
The moulds we prefer to place on end vertically, but if local circumstances
rendered this impossible, they might be placed either horizontally or at an angle,
provided a fair height of shrinkage head were added vertically. But we recommend
the moulds to be placed vertically. A shrinkage head of from 10 to 20 per cent or
more should be added, and severe vertical pressure should be applied to the liquid
metal. A tube (to be afterwards bored out and removed) should be fixed in the
axis of the mould. Great care must be taken that this tube, which in the majority
of cases, can only be of quite a s.nall diameter is perfectly straight and true. It
must be fixed in the bottom of the mould by a screw washer or annular plug,
screwing round the outside of the tube, for the full length of the thickness of the
bottom of the mould, and also screwing into the hole made for that purpose through
the bottom of the two vertical halves of tho mould, but fitting loosely to allow for
swelling with heat. Or the annular washer or plug may be stuck in its place by
an internal and external coating of ganister and supported from below. The tube
must also be securely fixed in the axis of the future shaft cylinder, or gun, at the
top, in such manner that the fastening may be removed when the vertical pressure
is applied. But these suggested fastenings may be varied in any way desired.
The mould should be placed upon a solid slab of stone or cast iron with a small
tube through the centre to. admit of the passage of the mandrels herein after
referred to, and in order to insure this hole being in the axis of the mould, the
latter should stand in a countersunk recess in the top of the slab. On the top of
the slab should be placed a thick armour plate of wrought iron or steel with a bole

page_text: cut out matching the recess countersunk in the top of the stone or cast iron slab so
that the armour plate will fit round the outside of the mould to hold it together,
and the two may with advantage be very slightly coned. A similar armour plate
may with advantage hold together the top of the mould, and if the two halves
of the latter are made in several lengths, the one should fit into and bind thio
other.
The liquid metal should bo purified by every possible means, and introduced
through the bottom of the mould by preference. While the metal is running in, a.
jet of steam, or a stream of hot or cold water, should be passed through the central
tube, and this should be continuously maintained, partly to prevent the tube, from
melting, and partly to produce the result achieved by Captain Rodman in casting
his large boro cast iron guns, namely an absenco of starring in the centre through
the metal being cooled from the centre instand of from the outside.
The severe vertical pressure should be applied to the liquid metal in a shrinkago
head by means of either an hydraulic ram, a steam hammer, or a screw of great
power, it should be transmitted through a heavy piston or rammer with a hole
through the axis to allow of its fitting round the central tube, and this vertical
pressure should be maintained during the whole period that the shaft, cylinder or
gun remains in the mould, in other words until the article to be manufactured has
got completely and thoroughly cooled down through and through to the temperature
of the atmosphere. This can be done by clamping or in any other convenient
manner.
At any desired period in the process, but preferably when the casting has cooled
below welding heat, if it is a metal which welds, the supply of steam or hot or cold
water should be cut off from the central tube, and hard tool steel coned mandrels
must be introduced through the bottom of the tube. But first the screw washer or
annular plug must be removed to allow of the expansion, and possible bursting of
the central tubo. The mandrels may be either the full length of the casting or they
may for greater convenience be cut up into shorter lengths, carefully stampod in
the ends with consecutive numbers. An hydraulic or other ram of great power
must be so placed as to act direct upon the mandrels, which should be allowed to
remain in the casting, and to increase the pressure by heating and swelling. At
least one set should in the case of metals which are malleable when cold be driven
through the casting after it has been completely cooled down, and that also should
be left in the casting a sufficient number of hours, days or even weeks, to ensure
that the molecular movement set up in the metal shall have ceased and that the
condensation shall have become permanent.
The mandrels should in all cases be taken out before the casting is removed from
the mould. The moulds as before stated must be of altogether exceptional strength,
thickness and weight, and may have to be clamped down to the bed of the rain.
The moulds will be so heavy and cumbrous that they should be made in as many pieces
as possible, the pieces being put in place by an overhead traveller. The concentrated
pressure from the ram on the base of the mandrel should be very severe, say from
100 to 200 tons to the square inch or even moro. As a final operation this can be
still further increased if desired by filling the tube with water, and driving in a
mandrel from the top by a steam hammer.
By these means "forged castings' can be produced of unlimited size with absolute
certainty and uniformity of result, and of a strength, whether longitudinal or
transverse, unknown at the present day. The process is specially designed for
steel, but is equally applicable to cast-iron, Bessemer-iron, phosphor bronze, or any
other metal.

page_text: We SAMUEL LAKE Engineer and Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM HOPE V.C both
of The Castle Steel and Iron Works Milford Haven in the County of Pembroke
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "A NOVEL AND IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HOLLOW SHAFTS, HOLLOW CYLINDERS GENERALLY AND
ORDNANCE" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object sought to be attained is to produce articles of the nature indicated of
a quality superior to anything yet produced, and particularly with a precision and
certainty of result, as to quality soundness and uniformity, unattainable by any
other process.
We start with the metal in its fluid condition (whatever the metal to be operated
on may be) and make use of that condition to form it into the shape we require, by
running it into moulds of an altogether exceptional strength, thickness and weight.
The moulds which should be of cast iron or steel may if desired be lined with a
thin absorbent lining, and may usefully be strengthened by wrought iron or steel
hoops or huge clamps, or may be fastened together by large pins or bolts running
from top to bottom, and running through alternate projections in alternately
superimposed sections of the mould in a manner analogous to a pair of ordinary
door hinges.
The moulds we prefer to place on end vertically but if local circumstances
rendered this impossible they might be placed either horizontally or at an angle,
provided a fair height of shrinkage head were added vertically. But we recom-
mend the moulds to be placed vertically. A shrinkage head of from 10 to 20 per
cent or more should be added and severe vertical pressure should be applied to the
liquid metal. A tube (to be afterwards bored out and removed) should be fixed in
the axis of the mould. Great care must be taken that this tube, which in the
majority of cases can only be of quite a small diameter is perfectly straight and
true. It must be fixed in the bottom of the mould by a screw washer or annular
plug, screwing round the outside of the tube for the full length of the thickness of
the bottom of the mould, and also screwing into the hole inado for that purpose
through the bottom of the two vertical halves of the mould, but fitting loosely to
allow for swelling with heat. Or the annular washer or plug may be stuck in its
place by an internal and external coating of ganister or similar material and
supported from below. The tube must also be securely fixed in the axis of the
future shaft cylinder or gun at the top, in such manner that the fastening may be
removed when the vertical pressure is applied. But these suggested fastenings
may be varied in any way desired. The mould should be placed upon a solid slab
of stone or cast iron or steel or wrought iron with a small hole through the centre
to admit of the passage of the mandrils hereinafter referred to, and in order to
ensure this hole being in the axis of the mould the latter should stand in a

page_text: countersunk recess in the top of the slab. On the top of the slab should be placed
a thick armour plato of wrought iron or steel with a hole cut out matching the
recess countersunk in the top of the stone or cast iron slab, so that the armour
plate will fit round the outside of the mould to hold it together, and the two may
with advantage be very slightly coned. A similar armour plate may with
advantage hold together the top of the mould, and if the two halves of the latter
are made in several lengths, the one should fit into and bind the other.
The liquid metal should be purified by every possible means and introduced
through the bottom of the mould by preference. While the metal is running in, a
jet of steam, or a stream of hot or cold water should be passed through the central
tube and this should be continuously maintained, partly to prevent the tube from
melting, and partly to produce the result achieved by Captain Rodman in casting
his large bore cast iron guns, namely an absence of starring in the centre through
the metal being cooled from the centre instead of from the outside.
The severe vertical pressure should be applied to the liquid metal in the
shrinkage head by means of either an hydraulic ram, a steam hammer, or a screw
of great power, it should be transmitted through a heavy piston or raminer with a
hole through the axis to allow of its fitting round the contral tube, and this
vertical pressure should be maintained during the whole period that the shaft
cylinder or gun remains in the mould, in other words until the article to be manu-
factured has got completely and thoroughly cooled down through and through to
the temperature of the atmosphere. This can be done by clamping or in any other
convenient manner.
At any desired period in the process, but preferably when the casting has cooled
below welding beat, if it is a metal which welds, the supply of steam or hot or cold
water should be cut off from the central tube, and hard tool steel, coned inandrils
must be introduced into the tube. But first the screw washer or annular plug
must be removed to allow of the expansion, and possible bursting of the central
tube, or the tube may be removed. The mandrels may be either the full length of
the casting or they may for greater convenience be cut up into shorter lengths,
carefully stamped in the ends with consecutive numbers. If the mandrels are
introduced from below an hydraulic or other ram of great power must be so placed
as to act direct upon the mandrils which should be allowed to remain in the
casting, and to increase the pressure by heating and swelling. Or the mandrils
may be driven downwards by a steam hammer. At least one set should in 'the
case of metals which are malleable when cold be driven through the casting after
it has been completely cooled down, and that also should be left in the casting a
sufficient number of hours days or even weeks, to ensure that the molecular
movement set up in the metal shall have ceased and that the condensation shall
have become permanent.
The mandrels should in all cases be taken out before the casting is removed
from the mould. The moulds as before stated must be of altogether exceptional
strength thickness and weight, and may have to be clamped down to the bed of the
rain. The moulds will be so heavy and cumbrous that they should be made in as
many pieces as possible, the pieces being put in place by an overhead traveller.
The concentrated pressure from the ram on the base of the mandrel or from the
hammer on the top of the mandril, should be very severe, say from 100 to 200 tons
to the square inch or even more As a final operation this can be still further
increased if desired by filling the tube with water and driving in a mandril from
the top by a steam hammer.
By these means "forged castings" can be produced of unlimited size with
absolute certainty and uniformity of result, and of a strength, whether longitudinal
or transverse, unknown at the present day. The process is specially designed for
steel, but is equally applicable to cast-iron, Bessemer iron, phosphor bronze or any
other metal.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The driving of mandrils through pasty or wholly or partially cooled metal
while still confined in a mould of immense strength.
2. The entire process for making "forged castings" substantially as described.
3. The appliances for the building up and holding together of the mould.
CIL 100
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.