IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING METALS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Paterson Smith and Peter Woodrow, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engincers, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING
METALS"
AND SHAPING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Paterson Smith
and Peter Woodrow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th July 1875.
We, JOHN PATERSON SMITH and PETER WOODROW, of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
FORGING AND SHAPING METALS," to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is to provide machinery which shall,
with the least possible expenditure of power, and without throwing
undue strain upon the machine, forge or shape metals to the desired
form in a gradual and progressive manner, so that the article shaped
shall be solid and regular in form.

page_text: In carrying our Invention into practice we employ a series of dies to
act on the metal, each succeeding die serving to shape the metal
operated upon nearer to the desired form until such metal is completed
by the last die. The said series of dies are in some cases employed in
conjunction with side hammers
One form of machine constructed under our Invention consists of a
framing carrying a crank shaft. The said crank gives to-and-fro motion
to a block or ram carrying a revolving head, to which the dies are
secured. At each to-and-fro motion of the block or ram the revolving
head is caused to move so as to bring cach die in turn into position to
act on the metal to be shaped. By the above arrangement each dio
does its share of the work in producing the required form. The sides
of the metal acted upon as above described are further operated upon by
hammers worked from the sliding block or ram.
In forging, say, a square headed bolt, the heated metal to be operated
upon is held between suitable holders, and the dies and hammers caused
to act alternately on such metal; by preference two of the hammers act
during the forward stroke of the ram, and two during the backward
stroke, so as to square up the sides. The die last to act on the metal is
arranged so that two or more strokes may be given by it in order to
ensure that the bolt head shall be of smooth and finished appearance.
A bolt head formed in the progressive manner above described will be
found solid and homogeneous.
Under a second modification, instead of the crank shaft as above
described, a steam or hydraulic cylinder and piston may be connected
direct to the revolving head, and steam or water pressure admitted to
the cylinder by valves and handles in any suitable manner, so as to give
to-and-fro motion to the rotating head and work the hammers
A useful application of this Invention is to attach the rotating die
head to an ordinary steam hammer.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Paterson Smith and Peter Woodrow in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, John
PATERSON SMITH and PETER WOODROW, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth 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 us, the said John Paterson Smith and Peter Woodrow,
Her special licence that we, the said John Paterson Smith and Peter
Woodrow, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
wc, the said John Paterson Smith and Peter Woodrow, our executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term thercin
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 MACHINERY
FOR FORGING AND SHAPING METALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Paterson Smith and Peter Woodrow, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
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 we, the said John Paterson Smith and Peter
Woodrow, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained m and by the following statement, that is
to say :-
The object of the said Invention is to provide machinery which shall

page_text: form in a gradual and progressive manner, so that the article shaped
shall be solid and regular in form.
In carrying our Invention into practice we employ a series of dies to
act on the metal, cach succeeding die serving to shape the metal operated
upon nearer to the desired form until the working of such metal is
completed by the last die. The said series of dies are in some cases
employed in conjunction with side hammers
One form of machine constructed under our Invention consists of a
framework carrying a crank shaft The said crank gives to-and-fro
motion to a block or ram carrying a revolving head to which the dics
are secured. At each to-and-fro motion of the block or ram the
revolving head is caused to move so as to bring each die in turn into
position to act on the metal to be shaped. By the above arrangement
each die does its sharo of the work in producing the required form.
The sides of the metal acted upon as above described are further operated
upon by hammers worked from the sliding block or ram.
In forging, say, a square-headed bolt the heated metal to be operated
upon is held between suitable holders and the dics and hammers caused
to act alternately on such metal By preference two of the hammers
act during the forward stroke of the ram and two during the backward
stroke so as to square up the sides The die last to act on the metal is
arranged so that two or more strokes may be given by it in order to
ensure that the bolt head shall be of smooth and finished appearance.
If desired any or all of the series of dies may give more than one
blow to the metal
A bolt formed in the progressive manner above described will be
found solid at the junction of the head with the neck, and having the
fibre of the iron so disposed as to give the greatest amount of strength.
Under a second modification, instead of a crank shaft as above
described, a steam or hydraulic cylinder and piston may be connected
direct to the revolving head, and steam or water pressure admitted to
the cylinder by valves and handles in any suitable manner so as to give
to-and-fro motion to the rotating head and work the hammers.
A useful application of this Invention is to attach the rotating or
movable die head to an ordinary steam hammer.

page_text: The two Sheets of Drawings attached hereto illustrate various methods
of carrying the above improvements into effect. In the views in theso
two Sheets the same figures donoto like parts.
In Sheet I. Fig 1 is a side elevation, Figs. 2 and 3 longitudinal
sectional clevations, Fig. 4 a plan, Figs. 5 and 6 sectional plans, and
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 transverse sectional elevations of a machino constructed
under our Invention adapted for forging bolts.
1 is the frame, 2, crank shaft bearings, 3, crank shaft, 4, driving
pullics, 5, clutches for starting and stopping. The clutches 5 aro
operated from the handle 10 through the lever 9, cross shaft 7, and
toggles 8. The crank 3 is connected to the reciprocating ram 11
through the sliding bush 12, secured to the reciprocating ram 11 is the
revolving head or die holder 13, the die holder is provided with four
dies 14, 15, 16, and 17, and is caused to revolve by the pawl 18 and
ratchet wheel 19%; the horizontal side hammers work in the cross
bracket 20 secured to the frame 1, and give a double blow for cach
revolution of the crank shaft; the said side hammers are each operated
through a connecting rod 21 which receives a to-and-fro motion from
the sliding ram 11, and transmits the said motion to toggles 22, one end
of such toggles being attached to a fixed pin 23 and the other to the
hammer slide 24 working in the bracket 20, the hammers 25 are sccured
to the slides 24 by bolts 26, 11 required adjusting screws may be
provided.
The vertical side hammers are operated through connecting rods 28
which receive motion from the sliding ram 11, and communicate the
same to the eccentrics 29 secured in the bracket 20, the eccentrics give
motion to the side hammers by means of the pins 30 which work in slots
or holes in the sliding blocks 31; the sliding blocks 31 are provided
with hammers 32, fixed thereto with bolts 33, and have adjusting
screws 34. Arranged as above described the vertical side hammers give
a blow at the back stroke of the sliding ram.
The heated metal a to be forged is held by the holders 35 which are
placed in cavities in the sliding pieces 36; the back part of each sliding
picce is made wedge shaped, and is provided with wedges 37 connected
by rods 38 and levers 39 to the handle 40. On giving motion to the
said handle 40 the holders 35 take hold of or free any article placed

page_text: between them. To withstand the shock from the blow of the ram and
header die on the forward stroke we provide an anvil piece 41 attached
to the frame 1, the said anvil piece is fitted with an adjusting screw 42
against which the end of the metal being forged rests, and is provided
with backing pieces 43 adjusted by the screws 44 so as to fit close to
and take the strain off the holders 35.
-
In forging or forming a piece of metal into a bolt the process is as
follows: The hammers are adjusted to the size of the bolt head wanted,
and the dies on the revolving head are of suitable size and shape, a
heated blank is then placed in the holders having so much metal pro-
jecting on the side next the revolving dies as will properly form the
head, the holders are then closed by the handle 40 and the machine is
put in motion by moving the handle 10. As the crank shaft revolves tho
first dic advances and rams up the metal to form the head to a certain
extent; whilst the first die is retiring the horizontal side hammers will act
upon any of the metal that may be compressed beyond the line of head,
the vertical side hammers then act on the other two sides, whilst the
second die advances the horizontal hammers again do duty. During
cach back stroke of the ram, the pawl and ratchet, or then equivalent,
act and cause the dies 14, 15, 16, and 17, to come into action consecu-
tively; any one of the dies may be caused to repeat its stroke as often
as desired by lifting out the pawl catch by means of the rod 45 and
tramp 46. In some cases the revolving head is provided with a spring
locker 47, disengaging lever 48, and stopper 19 The dies are however
generally sufficiently guided by the taper hole in the bracket through
which they pass; the size of the said hole may be adjustable.
In working at very high speeds the mechanism for turning the dic
head is constructed, by preference, as shown in Fig. 10, Sheet II. The
said mechanism gives the revolving head a slow gradual instead of a
jerky motion. Hero the sliding ram 11 carries a bracket 50 with spindle
51, provided with the ratchet wheel 52 and pawl and swing frame 53 in
turn connected to the frame of the machine by a connecting rod 54.
On the spindle 51 is also secured a chain wheel 55 which gives motion
to the pinion 57 and revolving head 13 through the chain 56.
Fig. 10 shows the ram on the back stroke, and Fig. 10% on the forward
stroke.
Figs. 11 and 12ª are modifications of mechanism, in which the swing

page_text: actuated by the connecting rod 54 The diagram 11 shows the sliding
ram at forward part of stroke, and 11 at backward part of same.
Fig. 12 is a side clevation; Fig. 13, an end elevation, and Fig 14, a
plan, all of a modification of forging machine, in which the rotating
die head receives motion direct from a steam cylinder (other motive
fluid may be used) instead of from a crank shaft; 2, steam cylinder of
ordinary steam hammer construction, the valve of which is operated by
means of the arm 3 and tappets 4; 5, valve rod, other arrangements
of mechanism may be employed for giving motion to the valve, piston
rod attached to or formed with the sliding ram 11 The anvil piece 41
specially adapted for holding long spindles is provided with sliding
grippers 7 operated by the right and left-handed screws and hand
whcel 8, so as to hold firmly the article being operated upon.
letters of reference and mode of operation, except with the differences
above described, are similar to those described in Figs. 1 to 13.
Tho
Fig. 15 is a side elevation; Figs 10, 17, and 18, arc front elevations
at various parts of the stroke showing the adaptation of the revolving
head and side levers to a steam hammer 1, bed plate; 2, pillars carrying
cylinder 3, 4, valves, 5, operating handle; 6, piston rod provided with
the revolving dic holder 7 To a loose collar 8 on the piston rod arc
jointed the connecting rods 9 for working the levers 10 and giving
motion to the side hammers 11 shiding in the guides 12.
The apparatus, as shown above, is suitable for forming hollow articles;
a mandril 13 is however required.
Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18 show in order the successive stages of opera-
tion in forming tubes and like hollow articles. A plate of iron or other
metal of the dimensions required is heated and placed on the anvil
block above the side hammers. The hammer descends and forces the
plate into U shape, as shown in Fig. 16, upon the rising of the hammer
a mandril 13 is inserted, thereafter the side hammers come into action
and compress the U formed metal to the shape of the mandril, as shown
in Fig. 17. The die holder is turned round at this stage and the finishing
dic descends, see Fig 18, and completes the article.
Figs. 20, 21, and 22 are views illustrative of the shapes given during
the manufacture of rail joint chips.

page_text: Having now described and particularized our said Invention so that
others will be enabled to carry our improvements into effect, we claim,
the machinery for forging and shaping metals, substantially as set forth,
and particularly the revolving die head with dies, and also the revolving
die head in combination with side hammers.
In witness whereof, wc, the said John Paterson Smith and Peter
Woodrow, have hercunto set our hands and scals, the Thirteenth
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight
hundred and seventy-six.
J. P. SMITH.
(L.S.)
PETER WOODROW. (L.S.)