Year: 1888

page_text: I; HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
This invention relates to machines for rolling wheels for railway and other
vehicles.
Heretofore in this branch of the art of metal working, many machines have been
devised and patented, wherein rolls of various forms have been organized with an
extensive variety of arrangement, and involving various modes of operation, not only
in working the metal throughout an entire wheel, but also in restricting such working
to certain portions of the wheel.
.
A machine embodying the present invention involves a mode of operation unliko
that of any prior organization. I prefer to employ cast steel car wheel blanks, each
having a hub in its desired or finished form, a web of the desired thickness in the
finished wheel, a rim which is thicker than is desired in the finished wheel, but having
the ultimately desired width, and which has a rudimentary flange; and in working
such a blank, the rim is so subjected to the rolling operation as to develope the
rudimentary flange into perfect form, accurately shape the tread, reduce the thickness
of the rim, and with.or without slightly enlarging the diameter of the web. As a
result of this novel mode of operation, the metal at the hub and in the web, (except
possibly at its junction with the rim), is in its normal condition, but at the said
junction, the metal is or will be, as a rule, slightly condensed laterally and radially;
and the metal in the rim is condensed in radial lines, and the tread and flange fully
developed and made concentric, but the metal in the interior of the rim is but slightly
worked. If the web be not, strictly speaking, increased in diameter, then as an

page_text: inevitable consequence the interior portions of the rim adjacent to its junction with the
sides of the web, must be of such changed concave or inclined contour, as to form in
substance either a thickened portion of a web which has been increased in diameter,
or it so forms an inner portion of the rim as to make it in substance an enlarged
portion of the web.
The principal feature of novelty in the present machine is the combination with a
positively driven roll, having a working face conforming to the flange and tread of
a finished car wheel, of a pair of wheel supporting rolls, which are less in diameter
than one-half the diameter of the car wheel to be operated upon, and having coincident
faces located opposite the working face of said main working roll, each of the faces of
said supporting rolls preferably corresponding with or to the contour desired in the
finished wheel, at the junction of the web and rim, and in their best form of
organization these three rolls are horizontal and so arranged with reference to each
other that the supporting rolls can carry and sustain a wheel blank in a vertical
position, and suspended by its rim, while the upper or main roll is being positively
driven and gradually forced or thrust to its work, the blank mean time revolving by
the action of the upper or main working roll, while said blank is suspended on said
supporting rolls. My supporting rolls are in no sense chuck rolls as heretofore
proposed, for clamping and engaging with the two sides of a wheel, and supporting
the entire inner surface of its rim, it being obvious that my supporting rolls must be
smaller in diameter than one-half the diameter of the wheel to be operated upon,
whereas said chuck rolls have a diameter equal to the diameter of the web of said
wheel. These supporting rolls may be revolved by the contact therewith of the wheel
revolved by the main working roll, or one or both of them may be positively driven,
or driven as by a friction clutch, which will, need be, allow of such lost motion as
would be desirably involved. For guiding the revolving blank and accurately
maintaining its axis in the same vertical plane, and in line with the axis of the main
and the supporting rolls, when all are horizontally arranged, I employ a pair of freely
revolving centres or centrcing heads, which engage with the opposite portions of
the hub at its axial opening, and I have so mounted said centreing heads that they
may be forced and held in proper lateral engagement with the hub, and similar
centreing heads may also be used when the several rolls are otherwise arranged.
Inasmuch as the described working of the metal necessarily involves a gradual
increase in the diameter of the blank, to a greater or lesser extent, whether said rolls
be vertical or horizontal, said centreing heads are rendered movable in a line at right
angles to the axis of the main roll, while confined against movement sidewise or
laterally from said line, so that as the distance between the axis of the wheel and the
face of the main working roll increases, said centreing heads may progressively
adjust themselves to their proper positions with relation to the hub of the wheel, and
still properly perform for the wheel their centre guiding functions.
In their best form each of the said three rolls has annular vertical faces between
which the metal in the rim of the blank or wheel is restricted against lateral expansion
during the action of the upper or main working roll, but inasmuch as a portion of the
surface of each side of a rim will be untouched by said vertical faces, a slight lateral
bulging of metal is liable to occur, and for correcting this I employ at each side of
the main working roll and the supporting rolls, a pair of side finishing rolls, which
compress the rim laterally between them, and correct the said bulging of the metal,
and they also perform an important service in guiding the wheel with great accuracy
during the operation of rolling. These side finishing and guiding rolls may be
positively driven, or revolved by the rolling movement of the wheel, but in either
event, one or both rolls in each pair should be provided with means for forcing it or
them into proper contact with the rim of the wheel.
Side rim finishing rolls have heretofore been proposed for use with a series of rolls
capable of operating only upon the periphery of a wheel or tire, but I have now for
the first time so organized one or two side finishing rolls with one main working
roll and two wheel rim supporting rolls, as to correct whatever slight displacement
may occur at that portion of the rim not embraced by said two supporting rolls and

page_text: said one main roll, and also so as to guide the rim of a wheel as it moves toward and
from said rolls.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 illustrates in partial longitudinal vertical section a machine embodying the
said improvements, and having a car wheel in position as if being acted upon by
the main roll.
Figure 2 is a cross section of said machine.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate details of one of the side finishing rolls.
The frame A may be indefinitely varied in its structure, due consideration being
given to requisite strength and to the proper location of bearings and supports for the
several portions of the machine.
The main working roll B is mounted in bearings within the portion A¹ of the frame
which serves as its housing, and it is provided with screws a, a, by means of which it
may be progressively advanced to its work.
This main roll has a working face conforming at b with the tread of the car wheel
desired, and at it has a groove which conforms to the perfect flange desired in a
finished wheel. At the ends of said working face there are annular vertical faces b³, b³,
which confine or restrict the metal in the rim of a car wheel against lateral expansion.
This main roll is provided with a shaft to which driving gear (not shown) is
applied in a manner common to metal working rolls. The vertical faces 62, 63, may be
afforded by metal integral with the roll, as is preferable, or they may be provided for
by means of collars, or other appliances which will prevent the lateral displacement
of the metal by the main roll during its action upon the periphery of the blank or
wheel.
The two wheel supporting rolls C and C¹, are mounted in fixed boxes or bearings,
below and in line with the main roll B, and their diameter is essentially much less than
one half the diameter of the wheel to be operated upon.
The supporting roll C has a collar at c which by abutting against the end of an
adjacent bearing, prevents endwise movement of said roll in that direction.
The supporting roll C₁ is capable of being moved to and fro longitudinally in its
bearings, this being necessary not only for enabling a wheel blank to be put in
position, and the finished wheel removed, but also to enable said roll to be forced
At its outer
endwise with sufficient force to maintain it in proper position for duty.
end, this roll has a loosely swivelled head d, against which a screw abuts, and the
latter is tapped into a threaded hole in a bracket d², pivoted on a bolt at its lower
end, and provided with a receiving recess d³, at its upper end, so that said bracket and
the screw can be promptly swung to the one side to enable the end wise withdrawal of
the roll, which operation can be facilitated by use of a forked hand lever, indicated in
dotted lines in Figure 1.
At their inner ends these supporting rolls C, C¹, are each provided with a projecting
circular face e, and a vertical annular face e¹. The face e, in its sectional contour,
exactly conforms to the contour of a finished car wheel at the junction of the web and
rim, and a wheel blank in position for rolling is suspended vertically upon said
projecting faces e, and the annular vertical faces e¹, servo to properly restrict the rim
of the blank or wheel, against all liability of lateral expansion, and said faces also serve to
securely guide the portion of the rim which is being acted upon by the main roll B.
These rolls C, C, may be rotated solely by contact of the car wheel therewith, or one
or both of them may be positively driven or frictionally driven without departure
from my invention.
As thus far described it will be seen that a blank or car wheel f, suspended on the
supporting rolls will have its rim f¹, properly worked at the tread and flange ƒ³,
and that at the hub f, and web fo, the metal will be unworked. It will also be seen
that the working roll B, acting with heavy rolling pressure on the periphery of the
rim, will force the metal at the junction of the rim and web downward, and thereby
to more or less extent condense that portion of the metal. As clearly indicated in
Figure 1, the pass between the coincident faces of the supporting rolls is somewhat

page_text: wedge-shaped in cross section, and this facilitates the lateral condensation of the metal
at f, the junction of the web and rim, but it will be understood that if it were
preferred to have said junction in a finished wheel more nearly rectangular in cross
section, the degree of this lateral condensation of the web at its junction with the rim
would be less than when the junction surface lines were curved as shown.
It has beretofore been proposed to so organize three rolls that all should co-operate
in forging and developing a car wheel rim upon a disc shaped blank, but in such cases
it has been proposed to either axially mount and positively revolve the blank which in
turn revolves all the rolls by its contact therewith; or to positively drive the side
working rolls, and thereby revolve the blank which in turn would revolve the roll in
working contact with the tread or periphery of the blank, as distinguished from
positively driving the main or tread working roll, and thereby causing the wheel blank to
revolve, while it is supported by its rim upon the wheel supporting rolls against the
thrusting action of the main roll, as in the present machine.
These three rolls in the machine, as thus far described, involve specific novelty in
their combination and mode of operation, and they will serve a practical purpose, even
if not supplemented by other portions of the machine which I have devised, and
employ therewith for obtaining further desirable results.
With the wheel blank or wheel suspended as described, it will freely revolve during
the operation of rolling, but I deem it advisable for obtaining the best results that the
wheel be axially guided, and this is accomplished by the employment of centreing
heads g, g, each of which is swivelled upon the end of a screw g¹, tapped into a box g²
which is fitted to slide vertically on splines g³ in suitable openings in the frame of
the machine.
These screws g, g', are in line with each other and parallel with the axes of the
rolls B, C, and C, and in the same vertical plane, and therefore when a wheel casting
has been placed in the machine, and these screws are advanced with the centreing
heads in proper relations with the axial opening in the hub of the wheel, the wheel
will be maintained in a truly vertical position, and be free to revolve without any
liability of its axis departing from the vertical plane occupied by the axes of the
working and supporting rolls; and it will also be seen that as the wheel blank is
enlarged as an incident of the rim rolling operation, the centreing heads will continue
their proper relations with the hub, because the boxes g² in which the screws are
mounted can slowly move downward as occasion requires.
While it will be always most desirable to have the axes of the three rolls hori-
zontal, and in the same vertical plane, it will be seen that the mechanical operation
thereof will not be very materially affected, if the supporting rolls be inclined, as for
instance as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, (in connection with each of
the rolls C, C¹,) it being obvious that the arrangement of all of said rolls may be
considerably varied so long as the axis of the wheel blank can be maintained in line
with the axis of the main roll, and also be free to move in or on that line, away from
the main roll during the circumferential enlargement of the rim, incident to the
advancing rolling action of the main roll when co-operating with the rim supporting
rolls.
It will now be observed that if heavy pressure be applied to the main roll B, the
metal of the rim cannot laterally expand at those portions thereof in contact
respectively with the vertical annular faces 62, 63, and e, é¹, but that the metal in the
side of the rim not thus laterally controlled, as at h, Figure 1 will be liable to bulge
out more or less, and hence I provide one or more pairs of finishing rolls D, D'.
If but one pair of finishing rolls D, be employed, good results will accrue, but with
the second pair D', the side finishing of the rim is more perfectly secured, and more-
over the use of the two pairs, ensures the rotative delivery and departure of the rim,
to and from the main roll, and the supporting rolls, with absolute accuracy, because
of their reliable rim guiding functions.
These rim finishing rolls are preferably mounted in the frame or housing, so that
their axes will be substantially radial to the point occupied by the axis of a car wheel

page_text: in position to be rolled in the machine, and one or both of each pair are provided
with means by which they may be moved toward each other, and positively main-
tained against retraction while in operation. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the
boxes i for a finishing roll D or D₁ are arranged to slide in the housing, and they
are backed by a double wedge k, actuated end wise by a screw k¹, so that by
advancing said wedge, both boxes will be moved and the roll forced outward
into proper position for duty, and firmly maintained in place during its operation.
Car wheels developed from such blanks as have been described possess great
practical value, and are suitable for ordinary uses, but they are much improved in
finish and rendered even more durable by subjecting them to the action of the
machine described in the specification of British Letters Patent No. 13,740 of 1886,
and I prefer, when the rim of a wheel is to be thus worked, that the flange and tread
of the blank should not be fully developed as to form in the present machine, in
order to provide for that radial and peripheral reduction of the metal in the flange
and rim which results from the practice of the invention described in the said former
specification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign Correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim, in a machine for.
rolling the rims of car wheels.
First. The combination of a positively driven main roll having a working face
corresponding to the tread and flange of a finished wheel, and a pair of rolls having
a diameter less than half the diameter of the wheels to be operated upon, and co-
operating with the main roll for directly supporting the rim of the wheel at the
two sides of its web against the thrusting rolling action of said main roll, substan-
tially as described.
Second. The combination substantially as hereinbefore described, of a positively
driven horizontal main roll having a working face conforming to the tread and flange
of a car wheel, and a pair of car wheels supporting rolls, having a diameter less than
half the diameter of the wheel to be rolled, and also having coincident end faces which
conform to the contour of a car wheel at the junction of its web and rim, and which
have said faces located below the working face of said main roll, and which also have
their axes in the same vertical plane as, and parallel with the axis of the main roll,
whereby a car wheel blank, vertically supported upon and suspended from said
supporting rolls will be rotated and have its rim and flange progressively acted upon
by said main roll.
Third. The combination of a positively driven horizontal main roll having a working
face conforming to the tread and flange of a car wheel, and also having faces for
restricting the rim of the wheel against lateral expansion, and a pair of wheel
supporting rolls having a diameter less than half the diameter of the car wheel to be
operated upon, and also having coincident end faces, below. the working face of said
main roll, and also having their axes parallel with, and in the same vertical plane as
the axis of said main roll, substantially as described.
a
Fourth. The combination of a positively driven horizontal main roll, having
working face conforming to the periphery of a car wheel, a pair of underlying
supporting rolls having a diameter less than one-half the diameter of the wheels to
be operated upon and also having coincident end faces, below the working face of the
main roll, and centreing heads, for engaging with the hub of a car wheel or wheel
blank, and maintaining its axis in the same vertical plane as and parallel with the axes
of said three rolls, substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination, with a main horizontal roll having a working face
corresponding with the periphery of a car wheel, of a pair of horizontal underlying
wheel supporting rolls, having a diameter less than one-half the diameter of the
wheels to be operated upon, and also having coincident end faces below the face of the
main roll, and finishing rolls for compressing the rim of a car wheel laterally, during
the operation of the main roll, and correcting such bulging tendency of the metal at

page_text: the sides of the rim as are liable to occur during the operation of the main roll,
substantially as described.
Sixth. The combination of a horizontal main roll having a working face conforming
to the periphery of a car wheel, a pair of underlying wheel supporting rolls, having
coincident end faces below the working face of said main roll, centreing heads for
engaging with the hub of a blank or wheel and maintaining its axis in proper relation
to the axes of the main and the supporting rolls, during the rolling operation, and
rim finishing rolls, which closely engage with the sides of the rim of a blank or
wheel, for correcting such lateral bulging of the metal as is liable to occur during the
operation of the main roll, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of December 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.