Improvements in Forming Coupling Collars or Flanges upon Forged or Rolled Shafts and Machinery for Effecting the same.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1888
Improvements in Forming Coupling Collars or Flanges upon Forged
or Rolled Shafts and Machinery for Effecting the same.
I, JOHN THOMPSON, of Post Office Chambers, in the City and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention the Collars or flanges are formed, by pressure or impact,
out of the solid substance of the shaft by one operation or by a series of operations,
sufficient material being provided in excess of the intended finished length.
The end upon which the collar or flange is to be formed, as on a propeller or other
shaft, will be preferably tapered to a blunt point and heated to a proper and, as nearly
as possible, uniform temperature to the centre. It is then transferred to, adjusted and
firmly fixed in a portion of a suitable machine designed to hold it end wise against the
pressure or impact required to effect the formation of the collar or flange.
This process may be effected by hydraulic or steam pressure applied direct to a ram,
or rams, or to a piston, or pistons, or pressure derived through accumulating gearing
from a steam engine or other prime mover or it may be effected by blows of a
hammer.
The machine for effecting the formation of the collars or flanges will be arranged,
as to the essential parts, according to the power to be applied and the mode of
application, and the details of construction may be carried out in various ways,
but as I consider it desirable and propose to use hydraulic power, I will describe a
machine as so actuated and as arranged horizontally which is a convenient form.
The cylinder (or cylinders) at one end fitted with a ram or rams, the outer end of
which carries the dies of various sizes and shapes is or are attached to a cross head,
which has a hinged keep to admit or remove the moulds of various sizes and shapes,
preferably each in two parts, by tension bars which may advantageously have
corrugated nicks fitting into corresponding grooves in the crosshead and on the
cylinder or cylinders.

page_text: At the other end of the machine is another crosshead forming the abutment or
fulcrum for the end of the shaft opposite that which is being collared or flanged and
adjustable to suit the varying lengths of shafts upon tension bars which may form
a continuation of the tension bars connecting the mould crosshead to the cylinder.
A convenient method of adjusting the abutment crosshead will be by screwing the
tension bars and providing suitable gearing worked by an engine to revolve them in
the cross head.
The operation of forming a collar or flange upon a shaft with such a machine is as
follows. The shaft being properly heated is placed in the machine one end resting in
a mould (of the required shape and size of the collar) in the crosshead with its tapered
end projecting towards the ram, the opposite end abutting against the adjustable
crosshead which has been adjusted to the length of the shaft, and the entire thrust of
the shaft is taken in the first instance by this crosshead. The other half of the mould
is now placed over the neck of the shaft and the hinged keep of the crosshead is closed
& secured. The end of the ram having previously been fitted with a die of required
size and shape, the pressure is applied & the projecting end of the shaft is forced by
the die into the mould and completed by one operation of the machine.
In an alternative method of carrying out my invention I may proceed by a series of
operations to form the collar or flange whereby the power required may be greatly
reduced & the risk of straining the material of the shaft, especially in the case of iron,
may be avoided.
When I adopt this method, a die of the proper shape for the first
stage having previously been fixed in the rain, pressure is applied. This first die is
flat & simply sets up the point of the tapered end of the shaft to a flat apex, a point
projecting from the die fixing a centre which will guide the succeeding dies. The
next die is one that will penetrate the centre of the tapered end of the shaft forcing
the material outward radially into the form of a thick collar or knob only a little
larger than the diameter of the shaft & having a cavity formed by the point of the die
in its face. Each successive die is so shaped as to spread out the material radially to
a greater extent until the required diameter & thickness of the collar with a flat face is
obtained, the cavity made by the first die being gradually worked out. The moulds
in the cross head have the required radius at the neck & form the edge of the collar
square with the face.
When a collar or flange is required on both ends, the shaft or like article is turned
-end for end and the operation is repeated.
Dated this 2nd day of Aumunt 1007

page_text: or Rolled Shafts and Machinery for Effecting the same.
I, JOHN THOMPSON, of Post Office Chambers, in the City and County of Newcastle
upon Tyne, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
"My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of shafting, suitable for
being used for the transmission of torsional strains by forging out of a solid cylinder
by successive operations or in some cases a single operation the required collar or
flange in the manner hereinafter described.
In the ordinary method which has been hitherto adopted in making coupling collars
or flanges which are to be used for coupling the different lengths of shafting end to
end, the end of the shaft is heated to a welding heat and the coupling collar is built
up by beating separate pieces of metal and welding them one after the other onto the
end of the shaft.
The disadvantages of this method are amongst others that the fibre of the shaft is
not continuous with that of the pieces of metal forming the flange and at every weld
there is a risk of bad workmanship.
'
The object of my invention is to ensure in shafting used for transmitting heavy
torsional strains perfect continuity between the shaft and the flange by making them in
one piece as hereinafter described.
According to this invention the coupling collars or flanges are formed, by pressure
or impact, out of the solid substance of the shaft itself by a series of operations or in
some cases by one operation sufficient material being provided in excess of the intended
finished length.
The end upon which the collar coupling or flange is to be formed, as on a propeller
or other shaft, will be preferably tapered or rounded to a blunt point and gradually
heated to a proper and, as nearly as possible, uniform temperature to the centre.
It is
then transferred to, adjusted and firmly fixed in a portion of a suitable machine
designed to hold it endwise against the pressure or impact required to effect the
formation of the coupling collar or flange.
This process may be effected by hydraulic or steam pressure applied direct to a ram
or rams, or to a piston, or pistons, or pressure derived through accumulating gearing
from a steam engine or other prime mover or it may be effected by blows of a
hammer.
The machine for effecting the formation of the coupling collars or flanges will be
arranged, as to the essential parts, according to the power to be applied and the mode
of application, and the details of construction may be carried out in various ways,
but as I consider it desirable and propose to use hydraulic power, I will describe
a machine as so actuated and as arranged horizontally which is a convenient
form.

page_text: The cylinder (or cylinders) at one end fitted with a rain or rams, the outer end of
which carries the dies of various sizes and shapes, is (or are) attached to a cross head,
which has a hinged keep to admit or remove the moulds, of various sizes and shapes,
each in two parts, by tension bars which may have corrugated nicks fitting into
corresponding grooves in the cross head and on the cylinder or cylinders..
At the other, end of the machine is another crosshead forming the abutment or
fulcrum for the end of the shaft, opposite that which is being collared or flanged,
and adjustable, to suit the varying lengths of shafts, upon tension bars which may
advantageously form a continuation of the tension bars connecting the mould cross
head to the cylinder.
A convenient method of adjusting the abutment crosshead will be by screwing the
tension bars and providing suitable gearing worked by an engine to revolve them in
the crosshead.
The operation of forming a coupling collar or flange, upon a shaft with such a
machine is as follows: The shaft, being properly heated, is placed in the machine
one end resting in a mould (of the required shape and size of the collar) in the
crosshead, with its tapered end projecting towards the ram, the opposite end
abutting against the adjustable crosshead which has been adjusted to the length of
the shaft, and the entire thrust of the shaft is taken, in the first instance, by this
crosshead. The other half of the mould is now placed over the neck of the shaft
and the hinged keep of the crosshead is closed and secured. The end of the ram
having previously been fitted with a die of required size and shape, the pressure is
applied and the projecting end of the shaft is forced by the die into the mould and
is completed by a series of operations in which pressure is successively applied to
the gradually shaped metal. The forging or, shaping of the coupling collar or flange
may in some cases be completed at one operation. When I adopt the former
method, a die of the proper shape for the first stage having previously been fixed
in the ram, pressure is applied. This first die is partly flat and simply sets up the
point of the tapered end of the shaft to a flat apex, a point projecting from the die
fixing a centre which will guide the succeeding dies. The next die is one that will
penetrate the centre of the tapered end of the shaft forcing the material outward
radially into the form of a thick collar or knob only a little larger than the diameter
of the shaft and having a cavity formed by the point of the die in its face. Each
successive die is so shaped as to spread out the material radially to a greater extent
until the required diameter and thickness of the coupling collar with a flat face is
obtained the cavity made by the first die being gradually worked out. The moulds
in the crosshead have the required radius at the neck and form the edge of the coupling
collar square with the face.
When a coupling collar or flange is required on both ends, the shaft or like article
is turned end for end and the operation is repeated.
Although I propose in some cases to form the coupling collar or flange by one
operation of the machine by hydraulic pressure yet, as this involves very powerful
plant and high accumulator pressure, I consider that there will be many cases in
which my invention may be preferably carried out by a series of operations with
varying forms of dies.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
On the accompanying sheets of drawings I illustrate the general arrangement, with
some details, of a machine which I consider well adapted to carry my invention into
practical application. The power employed is water supplied under accumulator
pressure to a single cylinder and the proportions of the machine are calculated to form
couping collars upon steel shafts up to 10 ins. dia. at one operation.
Sheets 1 and 2 may be taken as one, the machine being shewn in continuation from
one to the other.
Figs. 1. 2 and 3 (sheet 1) shew respectively a plan (one half in section) a side
elevation and a back end elevation (one half in section) of the machine which comprises
the press, with ram fitted with "die," the mould crosshead and portions of the tension bars.

page_text: Figs. 1 and 24 (sheet 2) shew respectively a plan and side elevation of the extension
of the tension bars, with guides to steady shaft, the adjustable crosshead and gear for
adjusting it.
On sheet 3. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 shew details to a larger scale of the various forms
of "die" which I propose to use to effect the formation of a coupling collar on a shaft
by a series of operations, Fig. O shewing the end of shaft as placed in machine. The
same letters indicate corresponding parts on all the Figures where they occur.
On sheet 1. A is the hydraulic cylinder B the ram with a separate head C formed
to slide on tension bars as guides and carrying the die D. E are the tension bars
fitting into sockets on cylinder A with collars at back end and passing through the
mould crosshead F with collars in front. The mould crosshead F opens upon a hinge
at G to admit the moulds H and when closed is secured by a keep J by keys upon
bolts K. The ram is shewn at the extremity of its outward stroke the die D having
completed the formation of the collar upon the shaft which is held in the mould
crosshead F with its opposite end abutting against the adjustable crosshead L (sheet 2).
The ram is drawn back by two auxiliary cylinders M M upon the main cylinder by a
crosshead N from which rods 0 0¹ extend to the ram head C.
On sheet 2. E are the tension bars which are screwed and work through bushes in
the cross guides P which support and keep steady the shaft and in tapped nuts in the
adjustable crosshead L which forms the abutment for end of shaft. Beyond the cross-
head L the tension bars extend by shafts Q to bearings in carriages R. On each of
these shafts is a spur wheel S gearing with a spur pinion T on a shaft U which carries
pullies V which are driven by a belt from the engine. W is a light fly-wheel on end
of shaft U.
On sheet 3 Fig. 0 represents the end of shaft as it comes out of furnace Fig. 1 shows
the form of the first die D' setting up the tapered end of the shaft (which is indicated
by dotted lines) to a flat apex and forming a centre to guide the succeeding dies.
Fig. 2 shews second die D2 which penetrates the centre of shaft and forces the
material outward radially as indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 shews the third die D³
further spreading out the material radially. Fig. 4 shews the die D* still further
continuing the formation and Fig. 5 shews the finishing die D by which the
coupling collar is completed in the mould. The successive operations follow each
other very quickly, the dies being quickly changed by light cranes, and ordinarily the
collar will be formed at one heat of the shaft end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. The formation of coupling collars or flanges upon rolled or forged shafts
of steel or iron suitable for being used for the transmission of torsional strains by
forcing outwards and backwards by means of a suitable die or dies, the material
composing the shaft itself substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The manufacture of shafting having coupling collars or flanges forged
thereon by the use of a series of dies or in some cases of one die for the purpose of
forcing outwards and backwards the material composing the shaft and so forming the
collar or flange substantially as described and illustrated.
Wahwa 14th 1000
Dated
February
14LL 1000
KAWA 200V
Witness:
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
2, St. Nicholas Buildings,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
JOHN THOMPSON.