and Analogous Bodies from Metal Tubes.
Year: 1888

page_text: and Analogous Bodies from Metal Tubes.
We, JOHN BURKHARDT, Machinist, and WILLIAM HENRY JACKSON, Manufacturer,
both of 3.1 East Seventeenth Street in the City and State of New York, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The nature of our invention consists in certain novel mechanism by which through
the use of a press, tubing can be formed into spherical, oval, conical and other
analogous bodies, and which is adapted for embellishing the same; and the object of
the invention is to furnish knobs, balls, cones and other ornamental adornments and
useful appurtenances for balusters, railings, trellises, chandeliers, and numerous other
kinds of artistic work, as hereinafter more fully set forth.
In the drawings Figure 1 represents a piece of tubing, or roll of sheet metal standing
vertically in a die, actuated by compressing machinery, and of dimensions suitable to
form a ball or globe; and
Figure 2 represents a sectional view of a pair of dies used for the purpose.
Figure 3 represents a metal spheroidal body finished and embellished as a product of
our invention.
Figure represents a vertical central section of a pair of dies, such as are used for
shaping a body which would represent an acorn.
Figure 5 represents a netting of fine steel wire, or other hard material of oval shape
to be used as a jacket to be placed over or around the ornamental body after it is
formed to imprint upon its surface the design or figure which the thin clastic
jacket is formed to represent, and which surface embellishment will be conferred
by a subsequent operation of the dies and press employed in forming such body.

page_text: The Figure 4 also represents in vertical section a pair of dies differing in respect
to each other the inner surface of the lower one being spirally grooved or ribbed
to embellish an ornamental body with the counter part of the figure shown in
said dies.
Embellishment of these bodies may be of various designs imparted to them by direct
action and contact of the dies, when the design formed within the dies consists of flutings,
ribs or scallops running longitudinally therewith; or by giving to the dies a partial
revolution during the operation of the press when the inuer configuration of the dies
consists of spiral ribs or grooves.
The spiral movement for producing the spiral impression upon the article may be
obtained by the use of a spirally formed groove made in the peripheries of the
dies a, a with fixed teeth attached to the frame of the press, which teeth will traverse
said grooves during the action of the press the dies being journalled as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 6, to allow them to revolve upon their seats. Other mechanism
is shown in Figure 6, for the same purpose consisting of lip or stud g, on the outside
of die a, against which the rigid curved arm h, secured to the counter die al will work
during the approaching movement of the dies which mechanism will cause a partial
or half rotation or revolution to be given to the dies, and thereby the spiral figure or
threads of the dies will be made upon the spheroidal body and embellish its surface;
and a reverse configuration of the concavity of the die or dies will form reverse spiral
lines or grooves upon the article by the substitution of a curved arm like h, curved in
an opposite direction, whereby the checkered surface embellishment similar to that
shown in figures 3 and 5 would be produced upon the soft metal of which such
ornamental bodies will be made. Three operations of the press would be necessary to
form the body and to impress the two designs or figures thereon.
The pair of dies a shown in Figure 6 are shown as occupying their respective
positions in relation to the plunger r and seaty of a press.
Figure 7 represents another form or design in a jacket formed of thin elastic skeleton
leaves with stamina in relief.
Designs of this kind may be so formed as to represent and imprint the figures of
numerous objects upon the surfaces of the different products as the form of fruits and
bulbs and the like for the adornment of articles of manufacture. The several
divisions or parts of jackets, like that shown in Figure 7 may be fastened together at
the top and secured in proper relation to each other at the bottom by an elastic thread
as shown at J in said Figure. It should be observed that stops attached to the dies
may be used to limit their approach and thereby cause a central raised girdle or
belt to be formed around the article being subjected to the action of the dies. It
will also be noticed that the two dies of a pair when brought together will invariably
meet, if not limited as above mentioned at the line of greatest diameter of the article
being made, as represented in Figure 4 of the drawings. The description in our
specification of even date herewith bearing No. 3288 of the mechanism forming
the subject matter of this application may be referred to as auxiliary to this. The
claim in said case being for an improvement in process of manufacture.
Although the pressure used while the piece of tubing is being formed to assume the
shape mentioned is exerted directly upon the upper die, the lower one will by virtue
of such pressure gradually receive its end of the piece of tubing, turning its metal
inwardly, as does the upper die, and thus the article is completed.
Globular and other forms of bodies after being formed and before ornamenting
may be filled with rosin or plaster preparatory to the embellishing and this will
prevent disfiguration of said bodies while undergoing the second and third com-
pressing action of the press necessary to imprint successively two designs thereon.
And when such bodies are intended for use as centers or as couplings in brackets
or chandeliers and the like short coupling pipes elbows or T shaped tubular joint
pieces may be placed within the sections of tubes like m (figure 1) before the operation
of the dies begins to reduce such tube to the spheroidal shape. It will be seen that
any ornament or useful device may be readily secured in the open ends of the articles
formed as specified.

page_text: It is apparent that by the use of the mechanism described rotary movement may be
given to the lies while forming these various circular bodies with outer smooth
surfaces, and this we deem of importance to facilitate working upon dense and refractory
metals.
It is also apparent that rectangular tubing may be reduced in the same manner by
modified dies, rectangular cross section and having convergent interior faces without
departing from the main scope and principal of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
First. Dies of spiral interior construction in combination with mechanism shown
at g, h, or its equivalent for causing circular movement of the dies for the purpose
specified.
Second. Flexible metal jackets as described and shown in Figures 5 and of embodying
designs in relief in combination with hollow dies for embellishing the variously shaped
metal bodies substantially as described.
Third. Pairs of hollow dies, one of each pair of which is of different shape and
capacity from the other, in combination with a press for the purpose of reducing
sections of plain metal tubing to spheroidal conical oval or analogous forms as
set forth.
Datal the 2nd Lov of Manah 1988
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicants.