IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW OR FLY PRESSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Maw, of Benthall Works, Broseley, in the County
of Salop, Manufacturer, and John William Hartley, of Stoke-upon-Trent, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW
OR FLY PRESSES."
Scaled the 23rd September 1876, and dated the 28th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Maw and John
William Hartley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th
March 1876.
ARTHUR MAW, of Benthall Works, Broseley, in the County of Salop, Manufacturer,
and JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY, of Stoke-upon-Trent, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW OR FLY PRESSES."
Our Invention refers to certain improvements in the actuating parts of screw or
fly presses which are used for stamping purposes, and more particularly those
employed for making tiles from dust, and the object of our Invention is to facilitate
the working of such presses by making the actuating parts more or less self-
acting.
We mount a pair of bevil or mitre wheels upon a spindle connected with the
screw of the press, and these bevil or mitre wheels are driven in opposite directions
by a third bevil or mitre wheel on a driving shaft engaging with the pair of toothed
or bevilled wheels. A pair of cones or discs are fitted into corresponding recesses
in the pair of bevil or mitre wheels, and such cones or discs are fastened to the
screw spindle so as to revolve with it, but when required by means of feathers and
slots they may be caused to move in the direction of the axis of the spindle; a
groove is formed between the cones or discs for the reception of tappets or a trunnion
ring.
The spindle connected with the screw of the press is made to revolve in either
direction respectively by the raising or lowering of the pair of cones or discs by
means of a trunnion ring, and their being brought into contact with either one of
the pair of bevils or mitre wheels. This arrangement may be applied horizontally
in such case, the spindle connected with the screw would be the fixed driving shaft,
and the driving shaft would become the spindle connected with the screw of the
press.

page_text: When a continuous and a self-acting motion is required the press can be made to
deliver one or more blows before the screw is raised for the next operation by
means of a forked lever, one end of which works in the groove between the cones
or discs, the other end being fitted with a pin and roller working in an eccentric
slot in a cam on a countershaft and made to revolve by spur gearing driven from
the main shaft or in any other way as preferred.
The eccentricity of the groove in the cam raises or lowers the end of the forked
lever, and by the corresponding action at the other end of the forked lever raises
or lowers the cones or discs, thereby allowing the press to deliver one or more blows
without raising the screw to its full height, or upon the main spindle of the press I
key a band pulley, and have a pair of band pulleys one above and one below the
fixed band pulley, working loosely on the shaft and driven in opposite directions by
a straight and cross band; the bands are raised or lowered by a guide and are
brought into contact with the fixed band pulley, thereby causing the revolution of
the screw in either direction as required. The guide may be actuated either by
hand, foot, or other arrangement.
Our Invention further relates to an improved self-acting feed motion for any
kind of screw press. Upon a crank arm, disc plate, or fly wheel keyed on the main
spindle is affixed a crank pin. A notched rod works horizontally in a guide, one
end being attached to an upright shaft transmitting the motion by a lever or ratchet
or in any other way as may be preferred. Thus on the ascent of the screws the
crank pin engages in the notched rod moving it a certain distance to cause the
required amount of feed.
The action is stopped when the screw arrives at its highest position, and on the
descent of the screw the notched rod is disengaged by a stop fastened to the upper
part of the press acting against an inclined plane on the notched rod. The notched
rod is kept in position for engagement by a spiral spring or suitable weight. The
rising of the screw is stopped at the required point by a projection on the fly wheel
acting against a spring buffer or stop affixed to the side frame of the press or in
other suitable way.
If the feed action be required during any intermediate part of the rise or fall of
the screw the notched rod can be disengaged during the rising of the screw in a
The feed notion is
similar manner, as described in the descending movement.
thrown out of gear by withdrawing the notched rod from the range of the crank
pin.
The return action of the feed may be obtained if required by means of a balance
weight; in that case the notch in the rod would be merely a hook.
Instead of employing a notched rod working in a guide we use a forked lever ou
a fulcrum, the other end of the lever having a rod for attaching to the feed the
crank pin, in this case engaging and disengaging itself without any stop being
required, and may be caused to operate during any portion of the rise or fall of the
screw.
Upon the periphery of the fly wheel is a friction plate, against which a brake
attached to the side frame acts, thereby checking the descent of the press when a
slight blow is required. Upon the upper surface of the mould of a tile press we
have a plate, one side being made to rise or fall to the height required by means of
set screws, by this means the mould can be filled deeper on one side than the other
so as to equalize the quantity of dust (after the withdrawal of the feeder) over the
whole surface of the mould.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Maw and John William Hartley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th September 1876.
ARTHUR MAW, of Benthall Works, Broseley, in the County of Salop, Manu-
facturer, and JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY, of Stoke-upon-Trent, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW OR FLY PRESSES."
Our Invention refers to certain improvements in the actuating parts of screwor
fly presses, which are used for stamping purposes, and more particularly those em-
ployed for making tiles from dust, and the object of our Invention is to facilitate
the working of such presses by making the actuating parts more or less self-
acting.
'The nature of our Invention will be better understood by referring to the accom-
panying Drawings, and the letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of our improved method of applying the
motive power, and for checking and stopping the action of the press; upon the spindle
(S) of a fly or screw press are a pair of cones or discs (A, B,) having feathers
working in a groove in the spindle (S), the cones or discs (A, B,) revolving with the
spindle (S), but having a certain amount of vertical play; (C) and (D) are bevil
toothed or friction wheels carried by journals on the bracket (E), and recessed or
faced to receive corresponding projections or facings in the double cone (A, B). (G)
is a groove for the reception of tappets or lifters; (F) is a bevil toothed or friction
wheel fastened on the shaft (K), conveying the motive power, and geared or in con-
tact with the bevil wheels (C) and (D).
The action of the parts is as follows:-The bevil wheels (C) and (D) are caused
by the bevil (F) to revolve in opposite directions, and when the double cones or
discs (A, B,) are raised into contact with the wheel (C) or lowered to the wheel (D) ·
the screw revolves accordingly, raising or lowering the fly wheel as desired. (M) is
a friction plate attached to the wheel of the press (T). (N) is another friction plate
attached to a column (0) by a bracket (P). (Q) is a spiral spring between the
friction plate (N) and the bracket (P), kept in position by a bolt having a thumb-
screw for regulating the compression; when it is desired that the press should give
a lighter blow the thumbscrew is loosed and the plate (N) is pushed by the spiral
spring against the plate (M), acting as a brake and reducing the power of the blow
accordingly. (R) is a spring buffer stop attached by a bracket to a pillar (O¹), or,
as most convenient, having india-rubber rings or a spral ring. (U) is a stop block
attached to the fly wheel to stop the screw from rising beyond its desired limit; the
buffer (R) is placed so as to come in contact with the stop block, stopping the rise
and by means of the spring buffer (R) getting an impulse for the succeeding blow.
Figure 3 is an elevation, and Figure 4 a plan of our improved mode of self-
acting steam presses, whereby they may be made to give a succession of blows if
required before being raised to their normal position. (A) is a disc geared or driven
so as to make one revolution only during one operation of the press, and having and
sunk in its surface an eccentric groove with suitable tappets or projections therein
as (G, H, K,). (B) is a lever, (F) being the fulcrum; the end (C) is either attached
by a joint to the reversing motion of the screw, or having a forked end with tappets
for working in a revolving groove, as (G) in Figure 1; the other end (D) is provided
with a pin, having a roller projecting into the groove (G, H, K,). Upon the revolu-
tion of the disc (A) the tappets or projections (G, H, K,) are successively brought
into contact with the pin at (D), raising or depressing the lever accordingly, and
transmitting the reversing motion to the screw from the other end of the lever, as
shown, or in any other way as desired.
Figure 5 shews an elevation of another means of applying motive power to screw
or fly presses. (A) is a band pulley keyed on the spindle (S) of a screw press; (B)
and (C) are band pulleys working loosely on the spindle, as shewn, and driven in
opposite directions by straight and crossed bands (E) and (F), respectively; the

page_text: bands are raised and lowered by means of the guide (G) by hand, foot, or self-
acting arrangement, as described in Figures 1 and 2; when the guide is raised or
lowered the crossed or straight band is brought in contact with the band pulley (A),
and consequently the spindle is caused to revolve in either direction as required.
Figure 6 is an elevation, and Figure 7 a plan of an improved method of actuating
the feed; (A) is a rod or lever connected at one end in any suitable way with the
feed gear. (N) is a notch in the lever (A); (B) is a lever, or, if preferred a disc
keyed on the spindle (S) of a screw press having a crank pin (E) at right angles to
the plane of its revolution. (C) is an inclined plane on the side of the lever (A).
(G) is a guide in which the lever (A) works; on the revolution of the screw the
crank pin (E) engages in the notch (N) and carries with it the lever (A) until the
screw arrives at its highest position; on its return the lever is forced from its
engagement with the crank pin (E) by the incline (C) acting against the guide, or
a stop fixed for that purpose. If the feed motion is required to act during any
intermediate part of the rise of the screw the notch can be disengaged at (R) by an
incline and stop, as already described, for the descent of the screw. The lever (A)
is drawn into position for engagement by means of a spiral spring or balance weight
at (.), and is thrown out of gear by being withdrawn by the rod (H) beyond the
circle of revolution, described by the crank pin (E).
Figure 8 is a plan of another method of feed. The crank or disc, with crank pin
(E,) are secured to the spindle (S), as in Figures 6 and 7. (A) and (B) is a forked lever
working on a fulcrum (1); on the rise of the screw the crank pin engages in the
fork (B), and advances it as far as desired, disengaging itself on its return; in this
case the lever (A, B,) is thrown out of gear by being raised above the reach of the
crank pin (E).
Figure 9 is a section of a mould used when a self-acting or mechanical feed is
required. (A) is a shoot or hopper containing the material of which the tiles are to
be made. (B) is the feed box, which is made to slide over the mould (C), where the
dust is deposited. (F, F,) are the sides of the mould, and (G) the bottom die, and
(H) the upper die; the mould is made deeper from (D) to (D) than from (D²) to (D2),
the material being always denser at (D), it being the side on which the feed box is
withdrawn by this means the dust is distributed in equal quantity over the surface
of the mould, and the loss in firing is not nearly so great; the bevilled top can be
either a loose plate, as (P, P,) or part of the sides of the mould. The loose plate
inay be made adjustable by means of set screws.
Having thus described the object and nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect,―
We claim the several improvements in the actuating parts of screw or fly
presses used for stamping or pressing purposes, and more particularly such as are
employed for making tiles from dust, together with the mechanical appliances for
feeding and distributing the dust upon the moulds, which parts are employed with
such screw or fly presses in making tiles from dust, as herein more fully set forth
and specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Arthur Maw and John William Hartley, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY. (L.S.)