Improvements in Machinery to be employed in the Manufacture of Metal Balls or Spheres.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar.. 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery to be employed in the Manufacture of
Metal Balls or Spheres.
I, GEORGE TAYLOR of Taylor, Cooper & Bednell Limited of Raglan Works,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Velocipede Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows: :-
The invention has for its object a novel arrangement or combination of parts
whereby a metal rod is fed forward through a hollow spindle against a stop and is
securely held and rotated whilst a turning tool or cutter shapes a ball or sphere
and is released at the required time to permit of a fresh feed thereof, the cutter
being gradually moved forward by a cam when acting on the metal and being
withdrawn therefrom by a weight or spring on the completion of the turning of a
ball or sphere.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a hollow driving spindle mounted
in a poppet head and provided with fast and loose pulleys to receive a driving strap
by which the said hollow driving spindle can be rotated. Through this hollow
driving spindle is passed another hollow spindle whose front end carries a coned
chuck fitted with three outwardly spring gripping dogs and the rear end of such
hollow chuck spindle has a thrust collar against which a spring is caused to bear to
force the said chuck spindle normally backwards. The front end of the hollow
driving spindle is coned to receive the chuck so that when the latter is forced
backwards by the aforesaid spring the dogs are forced towards the centre of the
chuck to grip the metal rod used in the formation of the balls or spheres. The
said metal rod is passed through the hollow chuck spindle and is gripped at
the required times by the chuck dogs to rotate the same and is released by said
chuck at the time required to feed the same forward.
The hollow chuck spindle has a cap at its rear end which is provided with
bearing balls between it and the rear end of the chuck spindle to reduce friction
and such cap is acted upon by a lever operated by a cam to move the said chuck
spindle forward when it is required to release the metal rod from the chuck.
This feeding of the metal rod is effected by means of a friction clutch or grip
through which it is loosely passed; the body of such clutch or grip is acted upon
by a spring to retain it normally at its rear position, the gripping levers or jaws
are mounted on pin joints in the said body and they are also pin jointed to a bar
which is hinged or pin jointed to one end of a lever whose other end is acted upon
by a cam to force the friction clutch or grip and consequently the metal rod forward
after the completion of cach ball or sphere.
1 employ a single cutter for the purpose of turning and cutting off the balls from
the metal rod and such cutter is made with a concave cutting edge or profile of
almost an exact semicircle in shape the front angle or corner of which is carried
fully up to or slightly beyond the centre of the ball whilst the rear angle or corner
is slightly short of such centre, such cutter is mounted in a slide which is pressed
forward towards the metal rod by a cam and is drawn backward by a weight or
spring which keeps it firmly against the cam.
The cams are mounted on a shaft which is parallel with the hollow driving spindle
and receives motion therefrom preferably by a cross shaft and screw gear.
The action of the machine is as follows: The metal rod is passed through the
hollow chuck spindle until its front end is against the stop herein referred to, it is
then gripped by the chuck by which it receives rotary motion, the cutter is
gradually advanced against the projecting front end of the rod until a ball or sphere
is almost completely formed, it then retires, the rod is again advanced the length

page_text: required for making another ball or sphere when the cutter is again advanced and
in turning another ball or sphere the front angle or corner of the cutter severs the
previously turned ball or sphere from the rod; if desired the said front angle or
corner of the cutter may be hollowed on its front or outer side so as to conform
more completely to the shape required to complete the spherical form of the ball or
sphere being cut off.
Balls or spheres made as above described are afterwards finished by "lapping"
as is well understood.
1
1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery to be employed in the Manufacture of
Metal Balls or Spheres.
I, GEORGE TAYLOR, of Taylor Cooper and Bednell Limited, of Raglan Works,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Velocipede Manufacturer 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 invention has for its object a novel arrangement or combination of parts
whereby a metal rod is fed forward through a hollow spindle against a stop, and is
securely held and rotated whilst a turning tool or cutter shapes a ball or sphere,
and is released at the required time to permit of a fresh feed thereto, the cutter
being gradually moved forward by a cam when acting on the metal, and being
withdrawn therefrom by a weight or spring on the completion of the turning of a
ball or sphere.
In carrying my invention into effect employ a hollow driving spindle mounted
in a head stock and provided with fast and loose pulleys to receive a driving strap,
by which the said hollow driving spindle can be rotated.
Through this hollow driving spindle is passed another hollow spindle, whose front
end carries a coned chuck fitted with three outwardly sprung gripping dogs, and the
rear end of such hollow chuck spindle has a thrust collar, against which a spring is
caused to bear to force the said chuck spindle normally backwards. The front end
of the hollow driving spindle is coned to receive the chuck, so that when the latter
is forced backwards by the aforesaid spring, the dogs are forced towards the centre
of the chuck to grip the metal rod used in the formation of the balls or spheres.
The said metal rod is passed through the hollow chuck spindle and is gripped at the
required times by the chuck dogs to rotate the same, and is released by said chuck
at the time required to feed the same forward.
The hollow chuck-spindle has a cap at its rear end, which is provided with
bearing balls between it and the rear end of the chuck spindle to reduce friction,
and such cap is acted upon by a lever operated by a cam to move the said chuck
spindle forward when it is required to release the metal rod from the chuck.
This feeding of the metal rod is effected by means of a friction clutch or grip,
through which it is loosely passed; the body of such clutch or grip is acted upon
by a spring to retain it normally at its rear position; the gripping levers or jaws
are mounted on pin joints in the said body, and they are also pin-jointed to a bar
which is hinged or pin-jointed to one end of a lever, whose other end is acted upon
by a cam to force the friction clutch or grip, and consequently the metal rod
forward after the completion of each ball or sphere.
I employ a single cutter for the purpose of turning and cutting off the balls from
the metal rod, and such cutter is made with a concave cutting edge or profile of
almost an exact semicircle in shape, the front angle or corner of which is carried
fully up to, or slightly beyond, the centre of the ball, whilst the rear angle or corner

page_text: is slightly short of such centre such cutter is mounted in a slide, which is pressed
forward towards the metal rod by a cam, and is drawn backward by a weight or
spring, which keeps it firmly against the cam.
The cams are mounted on a shaft which is parallel with the hollow driving
spindle, and receives motion therefrom preferably by a cross shaft and screw gear.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The metal rod is passed through the
hollow chuck spindle until its front end is against the stop herein referred to; it is
then gripped by the chuck, by which it receives rotary motion; the cutter is
gradually advanced against the projecting front end of the rod, until a ball or
sphere is almost completely formed; it then retires, the rod is again advanced the
length required for making another ball or sphere, when the cutter is again
advanced and, in turning another ball or sphere, the front angle or corner of the cutter
severs the previously turned ball or sphere from the rod; if desired the said front
angle or corner of the cutter may be hollowed on its front or outer side, so as to
conform more completely to the shape required to complete the spherical form of
the ball or sphere being cut off.
Balls or spheres made as above described are afterwards finished by "lapping,"
us is well understood.
I would here remark that in lieu of making the hollow driving spindle a fixture
endwise and giving end wise motion to the hollow chuck spindle, I prefer to make
the chuck spindle a fixture endwise and to move the driving spindle, the parts
connected therewith being suitably modified, as will be hereinafter described.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 is a right side clevation, Figure 3 is a left side
elevation, Figure 4 is a front elevation, and Figure 5 is a back elevation, of a metal
ball turning machine constructed according to my invention.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show the various cams.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 are respectively a front, plan, and end view of the tool
carrying slide.
Figures 12 and 13 are respectively a plan and elevation of the tool holder.
Figures 14 and 15 are various views representing details of feeder.
Figures 16 are a plan and side elevation of releasing bar.
Figures 17 are views of various parts of the releasing bar connections, and
Figures 18 are a plan and edge view of cover for the releasing bar and its
connections.
Figure 19 is a sectional plan representing the feeder separately,
Figures 20 are a plan and side view of the cutter separately, and
Figure 21 is a sectional plan of parts of a ball making machine showing
modifications.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
I will first describe the arrangement represented at Figures 1 to 20.
is the lathe bead, 6 is head stock fixed to the said bed, c is a hollow driving
spindle mounted in the head stock and provided with fast and loose pulleys c', c³, to
receive a driving strap, by which the hollow spindle c can be rotated. The fast
or driving pulley c¹ has a key fixed in its boss and a key way is formed in the
hollow driving spindle c.
Through this hollow spindle c is passed another hollow spindle d, whose front
end carries a coned chuck fitted with three gripping dogs d', which are sprung out-
wards by means of a light annular spring d, whilst near the rear end of such
hollow chuck spindle d, a thrust collar is screwed thereon, against which a
spring, enclosed in an annular space formed in the rear end of the hollow driving
spindle c, is caused to bear to force the said hollow driving spindle normally
forward. The front end of the hollow driving spindle c is coned out to receive

page_text: the chuck, so that when the hollow driving spindle c is forced forwards by the said
spring d, the dogs are forced towards the centre of the chuck to grip the
metal rod used in the formation of the balls or spheres.
The metal rod is passed through the hollow chuck spindle d, and is gripped
at the required times by the chuck dogs to rotate the same, and is released by
said chuck at the time required to feed the same forward.
The hollow chuck spindle d has a cap at its rear end which bears against a
hollow adjustable tail pine fixed in the standard a', and an attached continuation c
of the hollow driving spindle has a steel collar at its rear end held in position
by screw collars, and between such collar and another loose steel collar c
thereon, acted upon by a lever as hereinafter described, bearing balls are
placed to reduce friction. The loose collar c is acted upon by the lever in the
following manner to move the hollow driving spindle backward when it is required
to release the metal rod r from the chuck. A cam acts upon one end of a slide f',
the other end of which bears against a pin ƒª placed between a pair of toggle
links, one of which bears against a pin located in a fixed bearing; the
other bears against one end of the lever, which is mounted on the axis, and
bears at its other end against the said loose collar. The parts to fare
fitted within a standard or frame a², and a cover is employed to cover in
such parts.
The hollow chuck spindled bears at its front end against a loose steel stop, collar,
or disc, between which and the tail pin e, the said chuck spindle d is securely held
end wise.
Such loose steel stop or collar bears against a similar loose collar, and these are
held in position by a cap or cover b' screwed to the front of the head stock >, and
such cap or cover is fitted with a bush or steady 2, through which the rode passes,
and by which it is supported close up to the cutter /.
The feeding of the metal rod is effected by means of a friction clutch or
grip, through which it is loosely passed, and which is constructed and operated in
the following manner. i is the body of the clutch or grip, which is bored so as
to permit of the free passage of the metal rode therethrough, and it is formed
with checks i¹ located above and below the rod c, and having vertically perforated
ears at each side of the rod to enable the gripping levers or jaws to be
hinged or pin jointed thereto at their inner ends, and such gripping levers or jaws³
are also pin jointed at their outer ends to the outer ends of a bar which is
hinged or pin jointed at to one end of a feed lever j whose other end is acted
upon by a cam to force the friction clutch or grip, and consequently the metal
forward after the completion of each ball or sphere. A spring, the forward
end of which is located in a recess in the rear end of the tail pin e, acts against the
clutch body to retain the clutch normally at its rear position.
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The feed lever jis formed with a spring fore end, and the feed cam & is arranged
to feed a longer length of rode than is required for a ball, but when the rod.
comes against the stop o hereinafter described, said spring fore end will give way
and thereby avoid marking or injuring the rod .r.
I employ a single cutter for the purpose of turning and cutting off the balls
from the metal rod, and such cutter is made with a concave cutting edge or
profile of almost an exact semicircle in shape, the front angle or corner of which
is carried fully up to, or slightly beyond. the centre of the ball, whilst the rear
angle or corner is slightly short of such centre; such cutter is mounted in a
square horizontal hole m" formed in the projection on the slide m, and it is
secured firmly in position by being passed through a tool holder m³ fitted in a
hole in the projection m', a nut and a large washer passed over the screw
pin, being employed to draw up the tool holder and thereby fix the cutter /
firmly in position by binding it against the upper side of the hole. The slide m
is pressed forward towards the metal rod. by a cam, and is drawn backward by
a weight or it may be a spring acting upon the outer end of the horizontal arm
of a crank lever n' connected with the slide, which keeps it firmly against the cam n.

page_text: n order that the slide m, and consequently the cutter 1, may be properly adjusted
n relation to the rod .r. I fit the slide m with a nib m, which bears against the
am and is adjustably held in lugs or ears m³, by means of a nut located
etween such lugs m², and acting on a screw thread formed on the stem of the
ibm. The metal rod is fed forward against a moveable or disengaging stop o,
which is adjustably screwed in the outer end of a slide o*. This slide is mounted
n guides m, and is acted upon by a camp and spring o', the said cam acting
to advance it into position in front of the rod to regulate the distance to which
the said rod is advanced, and when such rod has been advanced and then gripped
by the chuck, the spring o¹, by keeping the rear end of the stop slide against the
will cause such stop to retire out of contact with the end of the rod .r.
The cams are mounted on a shaft, which is parallel with the hollow driving
spindle, and receives motion therefrom preferably by a cross shaft which is
driven by a worm s on the hollow driving spindle taking into a worm wheel lon
one end of the cross shaft r, the other end of which is provided with a worm ♬²,
which takes into a worm wheel q' fixed on the cam shaft q.
cam P
The balls, when cut off from the bar, fall into the trough 1, whence they are
conducted to the receptacle by a channel in the slide m.
I will now describe the modifications represented at Figure 21, and which are in
accordance with the description given in my Provisional Specification. In this
case the hollow driving spindle c is a fixture endwise and the hollow chuck spindle d
is moveable, the same being forced normally backwards by the spring d', which is
located between the rear end of the hollow driving spindle c and the thrust collar d
on the hollow chuck spindle d. The lever is also reversed in position, as com-
pared with the arrangement described with respect to Figures 1 to 20, in order that.
it may act at the required times to press the hollow chuck spindle d forward, in lieu
of acting to press the hollow driving spindler backward.
Also instead of, as in the arrangement, described with respect to Figures 1 to 20,
placing the bearing balls between loose collars c³ on a tube forming a continua-
tion of the hollow driving spindle and retaining the loose collar in position
thereon by screw collars e, the bearing balls care in this latter arrangement
placed between loose collars, c, at the rear end of a tube de fixed to the rear end
of the hollow chuck spindle d, such collars and bearing balls being enclosed within
a cap d fitting over the end of the tube d. In this case also the lever / acts upon
the said instead of on the loose collar as in the arrangement described with
cape
respect to Figures 1 to 20.
In short the difference between the two arrangements herein shown and described
is, that whereas in that described with respect to Figures 1 to 20, and which is the
form prefer, the hollow driving spindle e is moveable endwise and the hollow
chuck spindle d is a fixture, the reverse is the case in that described with respect
to Figure 21, the connected and operating parts being suitably arranged for
each case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
5 claim is
1. In machinery employed in the turning of metal balls or spheres, a head stock
having a hollow rotating driving spindle, coned out at the front end, a hollow
chuck spindle passed through the driving spindle and fitted with a coned centering
chuck, a spring acting between the end of the driving spindle and a collar on
the chuck spindle, to keep the chuck normally in its closed position, in combination
with a cam operated lever acting upon one of such spindles to move it endwise and so
release the chuck, loose discs at the rear end of such spindle, bearing balls between
such discs, a grip feeder to feed the blank metal rod forward through the chuck
spindle, a spring for keeping such feeder normally free of the blank metal rod, a
55 cam for causing such feeder to grip and feed the blank metal rod forward at the
required times, a slide carrying the turning tool or cutter, a cam and weight o

page_text: spring to give the required to and fro motion to such slide, a moveable or
disengaging stop for regulating the feed of the blank metal rod, and a cam and
spring to place such stop in front of the blank rod during the feed and to cause it
to retire out of the way during the turning operation, substantially as herein shown
and described.
2. In machinery employed in the turning of metal balls or spheres, a headstock
having a hollow driving spindle, a hollow chuck spindle within the driving spindle,
through which the blank metal rod is passed, an automatic gripping and releasing
chuck on such chuck spindle, and a guide or steady for the front end of the blank
metal rod, in combination with an intermittent automatic feed, an automatic dis-
engaging stop to adjust the feed, and a turning tool or cutter, substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. In machinery employed in the turning of metal balls or spheres, a hollow
driving spindle, a hollow chuck spindle, an automatically operated gripping and
releasing chuck, and a moveable or disengaging stop to regulate the feed of the
blank metal rod, substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In machinery employed in the turning of metal balls or spheres, a cutter con-
structed as herein described.
Dated thi
1001
GEORGE TAYLOR.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.