IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND FASHIONING IRON APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF. BOOT HEELS, TIPS, AND HORSE-SHOES, AND IN PART OF THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Richmond Stocker, of Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PREPARING AND FASHIONING IRON APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF.
BOOT HEELS, TIPS, AND HORSE-SHOES, AND IN PART OF THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 17th December 1868, and dated the 23rd June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Richmond-
Stocker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 23rd June 1868.
.
..::
I, ALEXANDER RICHMOND STOCKER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturer, do-hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND FASHIONING IRON APPLICABLE TO THE MANU-
ACTURE, OF, BOOT, HEELS, TIPS, AND HORSE-SHOES, AND IN PART OF THE MACHINERY
FOR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention; consists in forming grooved, channelled, indented, and other
10 rods or bars, of iron, from which boot heels and tips are to be made by special.
rolls, or apparatus, whereby two or more of such rods or bars are produced in
one piece by suitable projections formed on one or both the rolls or apparatus.
After leaving the rolling mill these improved rods or bars are cut into suitable
lengths and longitudinally divided (in some instances rods, after they have left
15 the tolling mill;;may receive the indentations for the nail heads), when they
are finally bent into their various and proper forms suitable for boot heels, tips,

page_text: and other similar articles, by any present well-known bending contrivance.
Also in the formation of pieces of iron, by preparing and fashioning them out
of ordinary merchant and other rolled bars, which I accomplish by cutting,
squeezing, pressing, tilting, or otherwise forming them into more shapely pieces
previously to their being manufactured into horse-shoes, leaving the bars wider
and thicker at those parts intended for the toes and heels of the shoes, which
at those points are subject to so much wear and tear, and narrower and thinner
at the quarters or those parts of the shoes subject to less wear and tear
rendering such bars thereby to be made into horse-shoes with much less labor
and cost.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Richmond Stocker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
RICHMOND STOCKER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Richmond Stocker, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Richmond Stocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alexander Richmond Stocker, my executors, administrators, 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 PREPARING AND FASHIONING IRON APPLICABLE TO THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BOOT HEELS, TIPS, AND HORSE-SHOES, AND IN PART OF THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Richmond Stocker, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Richmond Stocker, do bereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My said Invention consists in forming grooved, channeld, indented, and
other rods or bars of iron from which boot heels and tips are to be made by
special rolls or apparatus, whereby two or more of such grooved, channelled, or
indented rods or bars are produced in one piece by suitable projections formed
on one or both the rolls or apparatus after leaving the rolling mill; these im-
proved rods or bars are cut into suitable lengths and longitudinally divided by
the aid of a pair of circular cutters. In some instances rods after they have
left the rolling mills may receive the desired indentations, after which they are
finally bent into their various and proper forms, suitable for boot heels, tips,
and other similar articles by any well-known bending contrivance. Also in
the formation of pieces of iron by pressing and fashioning them out of ordinary
merchant and other rolled bars, which I accomplish by cutting them into more
shapely pieces previously to their being manufactured into horse-shoes, leaving
the bars wider and thicker at those parts intended for the toes of the shoes
subject to so much wear and tear, and narrower and thinner at the quarters
or those parts of the shoes subject to less wear and tear, thereby rendering such
bars capable of being made into horse-shoes with much less labor and cost
than by the present mode of working. In carrying out the first part of my
Invention in practice I proceed in the following manner :-I produce by the
aid of a pair of rolls specially provided for this purpose rods or bars of iron,
part of one of which bars is shewn in tranverse section and plan at Figures 1
and 2 of my Drawings. This rod is produced by the usual or ordinary rolling
mills, the special rolls to which I have referred being placed in their housings
and worked in the usual method of rolling merchant bars. These rolls I have
found to work more advantageously for rolling this particular bar.
When
they are rolled or worked with what are known in the trade as close grooved
rolls entering into each other as male and female, as shown in the front and
side views of these rolls at Figures 3 and 3 of my Drawings, and I claim the
use and employment of close grooved rolls on the formation of iron for the
manufacture of boot heels and tips and other similar articles when such rods
or bars are rolled in two or more bars, and afterwards require to be divided
previous to their being manufactured into articles which such rods or bars are
intended to produce. One of these rolls is provided on the centre of that part
of the surface intended to act upon the rod or bar with an annular projection
a, for the purpose of producing a deep channel along the centre of the rod or

page_text: bar while passing through the rolls, after which it will have the appearance shewn
in Figures 1 and 2. This part of my Invention has great advantages, as if no
channel or groove were provided in these pieces of iron they would have to be
cut or split through the solid or entire thickness, causing thereby the inside of
the articles made therefrom to have a very rough, ragged, unsightly appearance,
rendering them unmarketable. Moreover, the grain and fibres of the iron
would become disturbed and broken, the layers of the pile which produce the
bar would also often break asunder either in one and often in both the opera-
tions of splitting and bending the articles intended to be made out of them;
many other disadvantages would also arise were such provision disregarded,
whereas it will be seen that when bars are rolled according with this part of
my Invention the inside of the iron will be rolled equally as smooth and work-
manlike as the outside, as the thin web at the bottom of the channel is only
just of sufficient strength to hold the two bars together, and when removed, which
may be effected by passing it through a pair of rotating circular cutters fixed
in a suitable machine for that purpose, will leave the bars divided clean and
perfect on all their edges, avoiding thereby by this part of my Invention all the
disadvantages to which I have referred. These rods or bars are now in readi-
ness to be further operated upon, as will be presently herein-after explained.
My next or further improvement in rolling bars of iron suitable to the manu-
facture of boot heels, tips, and other similar articles, consists in producing them
of the same category as that to which I have last referred, with this difference
only, videlicet:-The same rods or bars which I have already spoken, would
be found to be much more desirable, as to lessening the expense in manufac-
turing the articles to be produced out of them, provided they could be accom-
plished with indentations or countersinks thereon or therein similar to those
usually made in rods or bars of iron in the ordinary manner as now practised
simultaneously with the rolling of the groove or channel as herein-before
referred to. This I accomplish in a very workmanlike manner by providing
one of the grooves of the roll shewn in Figure 3 with a number of projecting
countersinks b, at suitable distances apart in combination with the annular
projection or ring a thereon so as to produce, while the rods or bars are passing
through the rolls, perfect countersinks intended for the reception of the nail
heads, as well as at one and the same time producing the channel or groove
therein or thereon. These rods or bars, after the iron has been fashioned in
this manner, will present the appearance shown at Figure 4. I would observe
that I prefer to roll these rods or bars to which I have referred from or out
of a pile of puddled bars in place of from a billett, out of which tip iron, in its
plain as also in its countersunk, as well as in its grooved state, is now generally

page_text: rolled and finished in the well known ordinary manner, the pile being brought
down from a larger mass than a billett would afford renders my approved rods
or bars better in quality, as a larger amount of work is put upon the iron, but
of course either pile or billett may be used for the purpose.
I would further remark that the bar before passing through the rolls shewn
at Figure 3 of the Drawing, should be brought down to a size and shape
agreeing with or almost approaching the shape and figure of the groove
therein leaving the rolls to produce the channel alone, or the channel and
countersinks simultaneously with each other, so as to bring out the rods or
bars to a desired guage without too great a stress or pressure being put on at
this stage of the rolling, which from experience I have found to be desirable
in rolling this class of iron. The next part of my Invention consists in
operating upon those rods or bars herein-before first mentioned and referred
to at Figures 1 and 2, after they have left the rolling mills; and I proceed in
the following manner, videlicet:-I first cut these rods or bars by any present
well-known method of cutting into any given lengths desirable to make
certain sizes of boot heels, tips, and other similar articles, after which I sever
them by cutting out the thin web at the bottom of the groove or channel. I
then, after having heated them in a proper muffle or furnace, operate upon
them while in a moderately heated or red-hot state, by placing them singly
into and rolling them one after the other through a peculiar and special
machine or apparatus constructed according to my Invention and as herein-
after described and illustrated by Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 of my Drawings, for
the purpose of producing upon each length of rod or bar the usual indenta-
tions or countersinks intended for the reception of the nail beads.. I may
here observe that this process is equally applicable to making the provision
for the reception for the nail heads in rods or bars of iron of the common or
ordinary kind now in general use af.er they have been finished from the
rolling mill, which countersinks may be made in rods or bars either of the
ordinary kind, or those rods or bars rolled with the channel in them as afore-
said, either in their short lengths, videlicet, sufficient only to make one heel
or one toe tip, or the countersinks may be made in such rods or bars in long
lengths and afterwards cut into desirable lengths for the purpose intended;
provision in this case would have to be made so as to have a muffle or furnace
so constructed that the rods or bars should be heated from end to end of a
uniform heat, so as to equalize more readily the countersinks in their deptb,
width, length, shape, and otherwise; and I will now describe the principle of
this peculiarly constructed machine or apparatus and the various operations
used to carry out this part of my Invention. Figuro 5 represents a side

page_text: elevation of my improved machine for countersinking rods or pieces of iron
intended to be made into boot heels and tips. Figure 6 is a corresponding
end elevation of the same, and Figure 7 is a plan thereof; A is the bed plate
of the machine supported by the framing P, P; B is a carriage or sliding
table supported by the bed plate A, and receiving a to-and-fro horizontal
motion thereon by means of the revolving crank pin I fast in a disc which is
keyed on to the shaft H. This crank pin turns in a square collar which
travels along a vertical slot in the head of the sliding table or carriage B. A
rack D is formed on each side of the sliding table, which racks gear into
corresponding spur wheels d, fast on the shaft of the countersinking roller E,
shown in sectional detail at Figure 8. F are the pillar blocks and bearings
for carrying the journals of the roller E. The roller E may have two annular
grooves formed therein, as shewn clearly in Figure 6, of a shape corresponding
to that of the iron to be indented or countersunk, one of such grooves being
by preference left plain, whilst the other is fitted at suitable intervals with
projections of a size and shape corresponding to the countersinks to be pro-
duced. Plain grooves will be found serviceable in correcting any bulging
or distortion which the iron may receive when undergoing countersinking
operations, it being simply requisite for such purpose to repass the iron
through blank grooves for the purpose of correcting or remedying any dis-
tortions or irregularities which may arise in the countersinks of rods or bars
of iron to be made into heel tips and other similar articles. The iron a to be
operated upon is laid upon the surface of the travelling table B, as shown at
Figure 8, its correct position being insured by bringing one end against the
stop R (which is made adjustable to suit all size articles to be made) fixed to
the table B. Motion is transmitted to the machine from the first motion
shaft O, which is provided with a pair of fly wheels M, M, and fast and loose
driving pulleys N, N, and carries also a pinion L, which gears into the large
spur wheel K fast on the crank shaft H. The sliding table B is shown at
its full forward stroke in dotted lines in Figure 5, in which position it is
ready to receive the piece of iron from the attendant, who inserts it under the
roller E till it comes in contact with the stop R. The backward travel of the
carriage B now draws the bar a along under the roller E, which being geared
with the racks D revolves in accordance with the travel of the table, and by
its pressure indents or countersinks the bar of whatever desirable length it
might be, delivering it on to the opposite side of the roller, and is either
removed or passed back through the blank groove herein-before referred to
for the purpose of correcting any distortion it may have received, when
another bar is fed into the machine, and so on, repeated at every revolution.

page_text: It is obvious that in place of using a cylinder or roll E in this machine, a
segment of a roll, circle, or cylinder only need be employed, provided that the
arc of such segment be of a length sufficient to operate upon the desired
length of bar, or an apparatus may be made up in pieces in a very simple
manner, or a single piece may be constructed in many and various ways without
departing from my Invention for shaping or fashioning rods or bars of iron
applicable to the manufacture of heels, toes, and other similar articles. I
also propose to operate upon rods or bars of any desirable lengths that may
be wished, after they have been rolled in the ordinary manner at present
adopted, or by my new process, by passing such rolled rods or bars between
a pair of grooved countersinking rollers of a desirable or corresponding shape
to that of the bar after it has left the ordinary rolling mill. These counter-
sinking rollers may be formed with a plain or blank groove, as well as with a
groove having countersinkers therein, with a view to the correcting of any
distortion of the bar produced by the countersinkers, it being simply necessary
for that purpose to pass the countersink bar through the blank or plain groove.
I prefer, in some instances, in the manufacture of some articles that are
required to be made very accurate as to the equalisation of the division of the
countersinks in the rod or bar or length of iron to produce the article to be
made, to countersink the rods in short lengths, because the machine will at all.
times commence its grip at the same place in each rod, or rather, the first
countersinks, when the piece of iron to be indented is placed against the stop
which comes forward and offers itself for that purpose at every revolution,
will commence with the first and end with the last countersink at the other
end of the bar, accurately as to truth, so as to render not only the two end
holes in the heel or tip to be made out of it to be at equal distances, but the
centre hole also will be correctly made in the middle of the tip, as also the
two side holes will be at all times insured in their proper places, but for some
kinds of goods, where preciseness or truth as to this is not of so much conse-
quence,
it I may be preferred to operate upon such rods or bars in their long
lengths, making provision to effect this as described, as a greater quantity as
to number or weight would be got through the machine in a given time
should rods or bars of any considerable length required to be countersunk
by this process, the roller of course would continue to revolve until the last
5 end is delivered. When lengths of iron only sufficient to produce one article
are countersunk by this process, I prefer to use a roller about one foot in
diameter, commencing with four pegs for the smallest article made, and by
adjusting the stop R, Fig. 8, the next two sizes might be countersunk, then a
space is left in the roll.
When five countersinks are suitably compassed out,

page_text: the stop R may then be adjusted to suit the next three sizes of articles to be
made, when another space is left, and then another five countersinks are
compassed out, the stop offering the same advantage as to adjustment so as to
permit every sized article required for the market to be produced by the use
of one roller, which, however, in some instances would require to be loosened
and moved round in its bearings, and to be fresh geared into the racks, so as
to agree with all the necessary adjustments accordingly.
The next part of my Invention consists in forming pieces of iron of more
convenient shapes than have hitherto been accomplished for the manufacture
of hind shoes, to be applied to the feet of animals. The articles of which I
am now speaking are what I term hind horse-shoe moulds or blanks, and
according to my method of producing them will approach nearer to a finished
shoe than any horse-shoe mould hitherto made; and one special advantage,
together with several others, will be the very considerable amount of labour
saved in heavy work, to which this Invention is peculiarly applicable. In the
first place I take puddled bars, and by preference, make a cross pile of them,
so that the fibres of the metal shall be well interwoven together, thereby
obtaining and insuring a better character of iron to be made for the purpose
intended; a pile of desirable size having been prepared is heated and passed
and repassed in the usual manner through a pair or pairs of rolls at the
ordinary rolling mills, bringing out, say, a 15 or 20 feet bar made therefrom,
and 7 inches wide, by inch or thereabouts in thickness, I then cut out from
such bar, by any suitable pair of cutting tools of the desired shape required to
produce the article intended to be made, pieces of the form shown at a,
(Figure 9) which represents a plan of a'bar so cut up. Each piece a being cut
from its neighbour in such a manner as to prevent waste of metal, as will be
clearly seen on refering to the Drawing; these cutting tools may be fixed in
any suitable machine, and after the first cut has been made the bar is pushed
forward to a guage or stop, and at the next cut the first mould or blank is
swerved, the bar is again pushed up to the stop and a second blank or mould
is severed, the bar being thus cut up into moulds or blanks of any given or
desirable width and weight from which the shoes are intended to be made, or
moulds or blanks of various weights may be produced from the same bar, as
shown by the Drawing, and the bars may of course be roller varied as to their
width and thickness, according to the size, shape, and weight mould desired to
be produced. The bar to which I have referred may have a piece of steel
welded thereon along the centre, so that each shoe made therefrom will be
steeled at the toe, whereby their durability will be greatly increased. Each
shoe after having been made out of moulds so produced will have become

page_text: completely steeled at the toe, rendering them thereby very much more valuable
when shoes are required of great durability for contract or heavy wearing
horses. It is obvious that this system or mode of forming moulds or blanks
for the manufacture of horse-shoes is equally applicable to the fashioning or
shaping of tips or articles to be fixed to the toes of boots and shoes. Figures
10 and 11 represent portions of two bars so cut out, such bars having the
required indents or countersinks rolled therein or not, as preferred, as will be
seen on referring to the Drawing. Figures 12 and 18 represent two toe tips
so formed, the tip (Figure 18) being cut by a pair of tools of such a shape as
to leave a projecting piece a at the front or toe part, which is intended to be
turned up so as to form what is technically known and called in the market
as turned-up or clipped toes. These bars are rolled, by preference, to the
shape shown in section at Figure 14, the rolls being provided or not with
countersinks of any desired shape after the same manner as that herein-before
referred to for producing the charmeld and countersunk rods or bars for heel
tips. When these bars are subdivided in the manner shown on the Drawing
very little waste or scrap in the manufacture of the toe pieces will arise. The
articles when so severed may have the holes pierced therein, and be afterwards
bent to any desirable shape, so as to fit the boot or shoe, according to any
well-known methods now in use.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Richard Stocker, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
ALEX R. STOKER. (1.8)