IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLATES FOR DRAWING WIRE
Year: 1879

page_text: · LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLATES FOR DRAWING
WIRE." A communication from abroad by Charles Dake Rogers, of Providence,
Rhode Island. United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF PLATES FOR DRAWING WIRE." A communication from abroad by
Charles Dake Rogers, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
Prior to this Invention draw plates for drawing-wire, that is to say, plates having
a series of holes of progressively smaller gauge, through which holes the wire is
drawn to be reduced in diameter have been made from chilled cast-iron or from
cast-steel plates. The better class of draw-plates are those which are made from
steel. Such plates are not hardened by the ordinary process of hardening and
tempering metals, but by the effect of blows given to the plate in a spiral line or in
concentric lines around each hole, by a round-faced hammer. The effect of these
blows is to condense the metal, impart temper to the plate, and also to draw the
metal toward the centre of the hole, thereby reducing the diameter of the hole.
Finally, a punch or gauge of the proper size is driven into the hole, to give the
exact diameter required.
New draw-plates, composed of chilled cast-iron or of cast-steel (as well as old
steel plates), whose holes have become worn, are heated in the manner above
described, the object being in the case of a new plate to give it temper, and in the
case of an old plate to reduce the diameter of the hole to a proper size. In either
case however as the hammering operation draws the metal toward the centre of the
hole, it is necessary to start with a hole whose diameter is greater than the desired

page_text: gauge. Chilled cast-iron draw-plates, whose holes have become worn, cannot be
repaired.
The great superiority in endurance of cast-steel draw-plates has been heretoforo
accompanied by the disadvantage of the cost incident to the process above described
of tempering, reducing, and repairing them, for although the operation of imparting
the temper and drawing the metal toward the centre by repeated blows of a hammer
is apparently a simple one, yet it is in fact one of great nicety, and long practice is
requisite to attain the desired skill for the work.
The purpose of this Invention therefore is to produce a machine which shall
perform the above described operation of drawing and tempering, and dispense with
the necessity of skilled labour to obtain the desired results. To this end the said
Invention comprises the employment in a machine of a revolving anvil, to which
the work can be clamped in combination with a vibrating hammer, whose helve is
pivotted to a carriage, to which a movement can be given in a direction radial to
the vertical axis of the anvil, and also the combination with the anvil of a punch
or gauge located in the axis of the anvil, the offices of which are to centre the
holes in the draw-plate, and to determine the size of said holes after the hammering
operation has been completed.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a top view of my improved machine, and
Figure 2 represents the same in central vertical section on the line X, X.
Like letters indicate the same parts in both of the Figures.
A denotes the upright frame of the machine, in the head of which is mounted
the gear-wheel B. To this gear-wheel is secured a frame C, which has a circular
opening in its top. Located in the hub b of the gear-wheel B, as shown in
Figure 2, is the anvil D, the upper portion of which is provided with a screw
thread. This threaded portion is engaged by a nut E, which bears upon the hub b,
and furnishes a means for vertically adjusting the anvil D, and clamping a draw-
plate, as shewn at F, between the anvil head and the top of the frame C, which
revolves with the anvil; or the frame C may be so constructed as to be the moving
member of the clamp for holding the work, in which case the anvil may be
stationary Occupying the vertical axis of the anvil D is a punch or gauge G,
which is provided with an adjustable collar that bears upon the forked end of a
lever H pivoted to the frame A.
4
The gear-wheel B, anvil D, and head C are continuously rotated by a pinion J,
which moshes with said gear-wheel. Upon the shaft of this pinion is mounted a
bevel gear-wheel k, which meshes with the bevel gear-wheel k', splined to the shaft
K, and mounted in a standard secured to the frame A of the machine. The shaft K
carries upon its end a bevel gear-wheel l, which meshes with a bevel gear-wheel
secured to the driving-shaft L, as shewn in Figure 1.
To one side of the frame A is secured a bracket A', having a head a¹ upon which
a sliding carriage M is mounted. To the sides of this carriage is pivoted a vibrating
box n, in which is secured the helve N of the round faced hammer N'. Mounted
upon the hubs of the box n is a clasp R, having four arms 7, two of which extend
forward of the helve pivot, and two backward of the same. Between each of these
arms and the helve is placed an elastic packing S, the office of which is to receive
the rebound of the hammer blow, and to impart clasticity to the stroke. A reci-
procating vertical movement is imparted to the hammer through the clasp by an
eccentric upon the driving-shaft L, which eccentric is surrounded by a ring
having an arm P connectod with one of the clasp-arms r, as shewn in Figure 2.
For the purpose of causing the hammer to deliver its blows in concentric circles,
or in a helical line upon the surface of the plate, and thus condense the metal
towards a central point, a movement may be given to the carriage M and the
hammer in a plane radial to the axis of the anvil D. This movement is produced
by means of a foot-lever T, which is pivoted to the base of the machine, and is
connected by a rod t to one arm u of a T-shaped lever, pivoted to the bracket A¹
ณ

page_text: The vertical arm u³ of the lover engages the carriage M, and the remaining arm u²
carries a weight U, the office of which is to return the carriage to its rearward
position, when the foot-lever T is relieved of pressure.
The operation of the said improved machine is substantially as follows, that is to
say-The anvil D being first lowered to admit of a draw-plate being placed between
the anvil-head and the under side of the head of the frame C, the draw-plate is
placed upon the anvil-head and one of the holes in said plate, centred by means of
the punch or gauge G. The nut E is then turned, and the anvil clevated to clamp
the plate in position. Power is now applied to the driving-shaft L, which causes
the anvil D, plate F, and head C to revolve, and the hammer to deliver its blows
upon the plate.
So long as the foot-lever T is held in a definite position, the indontations produced
in the surface of the draw-plate by the blows of the hammer will lie in a line
forming the circumference of a circle, but in order that no two blows shall fall on
exactly the same spot on the surface of the plate during the continued revolution
of the plate and the continuance of the lever T in a definite position, the number
of teeth on the gear-wheel B is made moro or less than an even multiple of tho
number of teeth on the pinion J. This secures the full indentation of the circum-
ference of any circle upon which the hammer may be operating.
The surface of the plate having been indented to the desired extent in the
circumference of any one circle, the foot lever is depressed and the carriage moved
forward, so that the path of the hammer blows will lie in a circle concentric with
the first. By an intermittent depression of the foot-lever therefore the whole surface
of the plate within a certain area may be haminered in concentric circles, or by a
gradual and continued depression of said lever, the said area of the plate may be
treated in a helical line.
It is immaterial which of these methods of moving the foot-lever be adopted, for
by either, the desired extent of surface may be hammered, and the metal thereby
condensed and the plate tempered.
When a proper portion of the area surrounding a hole in the plate has been fully
heated, the machine is stopped, and the punch G is driven into the hole by a blow
upon the lever H, to give to said hole the required size or gauge. The plate is then
unclamped, a new hole centred upon the anvil, and the operations above described
are repeated.
Although I have provided the machine with the punch G for the purposes speci-
fied, yet said punch may be dispensed with. In this case the anvil-head would be
supplied with a centering stud, and the operation of securing the required gauge of
hole would be performed by hand after the plate had been removed from the machine.
It is obvious also that if preferred the radially moving carriago M may be so com-
bined with the revolving anvil that the rotation of the latter will cause the carriage
to be moved radially toward the axis of the anvil. I prefer however the arrange-
ment which is shewn in the Drawing.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
First. The combination of a revolving anvil and clamp for holding the work
thereon, and a vibratory haminer, to which a movement may be given radial to the
vertical axis of the anvil, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of a revolving anvil adjustable vertically, a stationary
clamping plate revolving with the anvil, and a centreing punch or rod, for fixing
the position of the draw-plate upon the anvil, substantially as described.
Third. The combination of a revolving anvil, a vibratory hammer, and a sliding
carriage, with which the helve of the said hammer is connected, substantially as
described.
Fourth. The machine, consisting of the parts shewn in the accompanying Drawing,

page_text: and constructed and arranged substantially as described, to operate as and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
417
SAS