Rails and other Bars.
Year: 1884

page_text: Rails and other Bars.
I, JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY of the firm of Hartley and Arnoux Brothers of
California Works, Stoke on Trent Ironfounders, Boiler Makers, and Railway
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR BENDING, CURVING AND SETTING RAILS AND OTHER BARS to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to effect a great saving both in the time and
labour heretofore requisite for bending curving and setting rails and other heavy
bars.
To effect this I construct a machine consisting of two parallel horizontal jaws
carried by brackets working in a frame wherein two vertical guide levers are
mounted immediately over such jaws The lower ends of these vertical guido levers
pass through central holes formed in such jaws while their upper ends terminate in
bifurcations in which are fitted swivelling nuts or eyes carrying a screw shaft
worked by a crank handle This shaft when operated opens or closes the guide
levers and jaws as required-Slots are formed in the faces of such jaws to allow of
sliding blocks or stops being fitted therein and when in operation these faces are
level with the centre of the rail on both sides thereof.
A ratchet and pawl provided with levers are fitted on the screw shaft and are so
arranged as to exert power in either direction or to disengage in the ordinary
manner Attached to the frame of the machine is a suitable carriage whereto are
fastened two short bifurcated arms-These arms project from the front and back of
the machine and are each fitted with a runner wheel the periphery of which is
formed to suit the rail or bar over which the machine has to travel-Lugs are
formed upon such arms through which set screws pass by means whereof the jaws
are raised or lowered to properly adjust the sliding blocks therein A socket is.
formed on or in each end of the frame,-and in one of these sockets a crank shaft
carrying a guide wheel is fitted This guide wheel travels upon the adjacent
parallel rail and imparts steadiness to the inachine.
The operation of the machine is as follows-Fit a sliding block in each end of
one jaw and a similar block in the centre of the opposite jaw-Place the rail or bar
to be bent between such jaws-Rapidly revolve the screw shaft by turning the
crank handle thus drawing the vertical guide levers asunder until their lower ends
Din S31

page_text: are forced against the sliding blocks thus causing them to firmly grip the rail or
bar Then operate the pawl and apply power by means of the levers when the rail
or bar is at once bent as desired In order to regulate the distance and curvature
of a rail I fix an indicator or pointer upon the screw shaft. To straighten the rail
again or to bend it in the opposite direction simply. reverse the position of the
blocks in both jaws and repeat the operation.
•
With respect to the travel of the machine when it is desired to pass a crossing-
open the jaws to their full extent and depress the bifurcated arms until the runners
are below the jaws Then close the jaws tightly thus rendering the arms rigid and
enabling the machine to be easily and rapidly moved along-To impart steadiness
to the machine when the jaws are elevated so as to be borne clear above the rail
level reverso the position of the crank shaft carrying the guide wheel
A modified and less costly form of such machine is as follows I attach a single
longitudinal jaw to a central arm which projects across and above the rail or bar
to be operated on-I fit the end of such arm with a screw the axis of which is in
a line with the centre of the jaw but on the opposite side of the rail-Such central
Bcrew suffices to bend light bars or rails but for heavy work I fit the end of the jaw
with an auxiliary screw whereby I double the leverage obtained by the central
screw and so bond the rail or bar with half the power. I may attach runner wheels
to the central arm as above described and I may fit either the central or the
auxiliary screw with the ratchet and pawl arrangement.
Rails and other Bars:
I, JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY of 33 Southampton Buildings Holborn London do
hereby doclare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE 3
FOR BENDING, CURVING AND SETTING RAILS AND OTHER BARS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
This Invention relates to a new or improved machine for bending curving änd
setting rails and other bars and has for its object to offect a great saving both in 3
the time and labour heretofore requisite for bending curving and setting such rails

page_text: The accompanying drawings whereon similar letters and figures of reference
indicate corresponding parts shew various views of such machine.
Fig. 1. side elevation in position for working.
Q
Fig. 7. side elevation.
Fig. 8. end elevation.
The following is a description of the mechanism of my improved rail bending
machine A are two parallel horizontal jaws carried upon brackets B attached to
a frame C-Passing through the frame and immediately over the centro of the
jaws are two vertical guide levers D-The fulcri of, these two levers are fixed in
the frame C-The lower ends of these vertical guide levers pass through central
holes E in the horizontal jaws A-The upper ends of the guide levers D.terminate
In bifurcations E wherein swivelling nuts F are fitted each screwed with right and
left handed threads These nuts carry a screw G actuated at one end by a crank
handle H and in the centre by a ratchet wheel I-This screw has an indicator or
pointer fixed thereon whereby to regulate the distance and curvature of the rail or
bar to be bent and when such screw is operated it opens or closes the ends of thế
guide levers as required.
.
In the faces of the jaws A adjacent to the rail K requiring to be bent I form
dovetail grooves J and in these grooves I place stop blocks T arranged to slide
along the faces of the jaws and fitting against the centre of the rail K. When in
operation the faces of the jaws A are level with the centre of resistance of the
rail K-On the ratchet wheel II fit a pawl L furnished with sockets / wherein
I fix levers M-Tho pawl L is arranged so as to exert its power by revolving the
screw G in either direction or to disengage in the ordinary, manner Attached to
the frame C is a carriage N from which swivel upon fulcrum pins S two bifurcated
arms O These bifurcated arms project respectively on cach side of the frame C
and carry in each bifurcation a runner wheel P The periphery of each of these
wheels is fitted to and runs in the groove of the rail K-Lugs Q are fixed at the
ends of these levers through which pass set screws R whereby the height of the
machine may be adjusted so as to bring the stop blocks T level with the centre of
the rail K-A socket U is formed in each end of the frame C and in one of these
sockets is fixed a cranked axle V carrying a guide wheel W that travels upon the
adjacent rail and so imparts steadiness to the machine-The operation of the
machine is as follows:-Place the rail or bar to be bent between the two jaws after
which place a sliding block in each end of one jaw and a block in the contre of the
opposite jaw-then rapidly revolve the screw by turning the crank handle in the
required direction whereby the upper ends of the guide levers are drawn asunder
while the lower ends together with the jaws and sliding blocks are forced together
until the blocks grip the rail-Then engage the pawl and apply power by means of
the levers when by so doing the rail is bent into the desired form-To straighten
the rail or to bend it in the opposite direction it is only necessary to reverse the
position of the blocks in the jaws and repeat the operation-After the operation is
completed disengage the blocks by the reverse action of the pawl when the machine
on being pushed along readily travels over the rail upon the runner wheels P and
guide wheels W.
To enable the machine to pass a crossing open the jaws to the full extent and
depress the bifurcated arms until the runners are below the level of the underside
of the jaws A then remove the blocks to one side and close the jaws tightly thus
rendering the bifurcated arms rigid when the machine can be rapidly moved
along To impart steadiness to the machine when elevated above the rail level

page_text: reverse the position of the cranked axle V as indicated by the dotted lines Y in
Fig. (3) thus enabling the guide wheel W to rest either upon the ground or the
adjacent rail as desired.
A modified and less costly form of such machine is as follows:-I attach a single
longitudinal jaw (1) to a central arm (2) which projects across and above the rail
or bar (3) to be operated on-I fit the end of such arm with a screw (4) the axis of
which is in a line with the centre of the jaw but on the opposite side of the rail
Such central screw suffices to bend light bars or rails, but for heavy work I fit the
end of the jaw with an auxiliary screw (5) whereby I double the leverage obtained
by the central scrow and so bend the rail or bar with half the power-I may also
attach runner wheels to the central arm in the manner already described and I may
likewise fit either the central or the auxiliary screw with a similar or equivalent
ratchet and pawl arrangement to that herein before described. The jaw (1) is fitted
with blocks (6).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said:
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improved construction of machine for bending curving and setting rails
and other bars substantially as hereinbefore specified and shewn in the accompanying
drawings Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.
2. The modification of such machine for bending curving and setting rails and
other bars substantially as hereinbefore specified and shewn in the accompanying
drawings at Figs. 6, 7, and 8.