IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED SHAFTS AND AXLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Reynolds, of the River Don Works,
Sheffield, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED SHAFTS AND AXLES."
Sealed the 20th December 1875, and dated the 2nd July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Reynolds at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd July 1875.
I, EDWARD REYNOLDS, of the River Don Works, Sheffield, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED SHAFTS AND AXLES,"
to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of cranked shafts, especially such as have double
cranks as in locomotive and marine engines, the forging of the parts
where the cranks have to be formed and the turning and finishing of
those parts present considerable difficulties. In order to facilitate the

page_text: workmanship such cranks have been built up in various ways of separate
pieces, shrunk and keyed on or otherwise fixed on the shafts and pins.
My Invention relates to a method of forming the cranks in pieces
in such a manner that at the time when the pieces are put together,
the main shaft or axle on which the cranks are to be remains entire and
forms a guide for accuracy. For this purpose I prepare a shaft of the
required size extending the whole length, including the cranks, in one
piece, and I turn upon it beds for the slabs that are to form the sides
of the cranks. I prepare these slabs separately and I bore them out,
each with two holes, one to fit the bed on the shaft and the other to
take the end of the crank pin. I also prepare the crank pin or pins,
turning their ends to suit the holes in the slabs. I pass one slab over
one end of the shaft on to its bed, and I insert into this slab the one end
of the crank pin; I then pass the other slab of the crank on to its bed
on the shaft, taking the other end of the crank pin.
The slabs may either be shrunk on the shaft and crank pin or may be
forced on by pressure.
In the former case I prefer to make the beds
for them on the shaft, and also the ends of the crank pin with shoulders
which come about the middle of the thickness of the slab, so that when
the latter shrinks it may do so equally on each side of the said shoulder.
When the slabs are forced on by pressure I prefer to make their beds
on the shaft and the ends of the crank pin slightly taper with or without
shoulders to determine their position.
For small shafts, the two slabs of the crank with the pin may be first
shrunk or pressed together and the whole put on the shaft in one piece.
After the slabs and pin are thus put in their place, I cut or slot out that
part of the shaft which presents itself between the two slabs of the
crank, and I may then if requisite subject the shaft and crank pin to a
finishing lathe cut to render them true.
The keys for preventing the cranks or their pins from turning may be
driven after they are put together into chases previously provided for
them. I prefer however to bed the keys in their places before putting
the parts together, and then to shrink or press the slabs upon them.
In such cranked shafts as either from their size or from the con-
struction of the engines must be made in two parts as is very commonly

page_text: the case I couple the two parts together by forming an enlargement
on the contiguous ends of each part, and fitting over such enlargements
a ring or hoop of a breadth equal to that of the two enlargements or
collars taken together. This ring or hoop is connected to the collars by
keys properly fitted so as to prevent the hoop from shifting, and I
prefer to form the keys as bolts either tapered or of other form, the
heads and nuts of such bolts being useful for preventing the collar from
shifting in the direction of the length of the shaft in case of its
becoming loose. In some cases I insert the tapered bolts alternately
from opposite sides of the coupling, making each bolt to fit tightly only
in one part of the coupling, so that each part of the shaft may be as
it were keyed independently to the coupling ring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Reynolds in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
REYNOLDS, of the River Don Works, Sheffield, in the County of York,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Reynolds, Her special license that I,
the said Edward Reynolds, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edward Reynolds, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED SHAFTS AND AXLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Reynolds, my exccutors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one

page_text: of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Reynolds, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
In the manufacture of cranked shafts, especially such as have double
cranks, as in locomotive and marine engines, the forging of the parts
where the cranks have to be formed, and the turning and finishing of
those parts present considerable difficulties. In order to facilitate the
workmanship such cranks have been built up in various ways of separate
pieces shrunk and keyed on or otherwise fixed on the shafts and pius.
My Invention relates to a method of forming the cranks in pieces in
such a manner that at the time when the pieces are put together, the
main shaft or axle on which the cranks are to be remains entire and 2
forms a guide for accuracy. For this purpose I prepare a shaft of the
required size extending the whole length, including the cranks, in one
piece, and I turn upon it beds for the slabs that are to form the sides of
the cranks. I prepare these slabs separately and I bore them out each
with two holes, one to fit the bed on the shaft and the other to 2
take the end of the crank pin. I also prepare the crank pin or pins,
turning their ends to suit the holes in the slabs. I pass one slab
over one end of the shaft on to its bed, and I insert into this
slab the one end of the crank pin, I then pass the other slab of the
crank on to its bed on the shaft, taking the other end of the crank pin. 8
The slabs may either be shrunk on the shaft and crank pin or may be
forced on by pressure. In the former case the beds on the shaft for
the slabs may be provided with shoulders which come about the middle
of the thickness of the slab upon which the hot slab may rest whilst
cooling, but the slab may obviously and sometimes preferably be carried 3
wholly upon external supports. When the slabs are forced on by

page_text: pressure I prefer to make their beds on the shaft, and the ends of tho
crank pin slightly taper with or without shoulders to determine thoir
position.
For small shafts the two slabs of the crank with the pin may be first
shrunk or pressed together, and the whole put on the shaft in one piece.
After the slabs and pins are thus put in their places I cut or slot out
that part of the shaft which presents itself between the two slabs of the
crank, and I may then if requisite subject the shaft and crank pin to a
finishing lathe cut to render them true.
The key or keys for preventing the cranks or their pins from turning
may be driven after they are put together into chases previously provided
for them. I prefer however to bed the keys in their places before
putting the parts together, and then to shrink or press the slabs upon
them.
In such cranked shafts as either from their size or from the con-
struction of the engines must be made in two parts, as is very commonly
the case, I couple the two parts together by forming an enlargement
on the contiguous ends of each part, and fitting over such enlargements
a ring or hoop of a breadth equal to that of the two enlargements or
collars taken together. This ring or hoop is connected to the collars by
keys properly fitted so as to prevent the hoop from shifting, and I
prefer to form the keys as bolts, either tapered or of other form, the
heads and nuts of such bolts being useful for proventing the collar from
shifting in the direction of the length of the shaft in case of its becoming
loose. In some cases I insert the tapered bolts alternately from opposite
sides of the coupling, making each bolt to fit tightly only in one part of
the coupling, so that each part of the shaft may be as it were keyed
independently to the coupling ring.

page_text: The shaft is here shewn as being made in two parts coupled together
with the two cranks B and E at right angles to cach other, but as before
stated, my Invention is equally applicable when two or more cranks
have to be formed on one continuous length of shafting.
The two parts A, A¹, of the shaft are in the first instance made in one
continuous length as shown at Fig. 4, a part A³ (shewn in dotted lines
at Fig. 1) serving to connect the two parts. The beds for the slabs B, B¹,
of the crank are then turned upon it at a, a', respectively, the bed a
for B being made of slightly larger diameter than the bed for B¹, and
the slabs being made with holes of corresponding size so that the slab B
can be slid over the bed a¹ on to its own bed. This being effected, the
crank pin C is inserted into its hole in B, and the slab B' is then slid on
to its bed and on to the other end of the crank pin. The slabs and
crank pin being shrunk on and secured by a key or keys as herein-
before described, the part A³ of the shaft between the slabs is then cut
or slotted out so as to leave the cranked shaft as shown at Fig. 1. The
other part D, D¹, of the shaft being formed with its crank E in a precisely
similar manner, the two parts are coupled together. For this purpose
cach part is made with an enlargement as shown at F, Fig. 4, on the
circumference of which are formed a number of semicircular notches f
the notches in the two parts being by preference so formed relatively to
each other that when they are put together a continuous tapering
notch is produced running through the two parts. A ring or hoop G
is then fitted over the two enlargements having corresponding semi-
circular tapering notches on its inner circumference, and tapering
bolts are then introduced into the tapering holes thus formed and are
secured by nuts. If the bolts are made without taper they would of
course be provided with heads as well as nuts.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The method of constructing built up cranked shafts or axles
by first fixing the slabs for the crank or cranks upon a continuous
length of shaft or axle, and then cutting out that portion of the shaft
that extends across the gap of the crank substantially as herein
described.
Second. Coupling together two lengths of a cranked shaft by forming
enlargements on the contiguous ends of the two lengths, and fitting over

page_text: the same a ring or hoop secured thereto by screw bolts fitting in holes
formed partly in the shaft and partly in the hoop or ring, substantially
as herein described.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Reynolds, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Edward Reynolds in the
presence of
W. G. COOLEY,
Fountain Villa,
Sheffield.
EDWARD REYNOLDS. (L.S.)