Improvements in Machines for Forging Car and other Wheels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Forging Car and other Wheels.
We, JAMES AULRA FACER, and HORACE FERDINAND MCCANN, both of
Germantown, Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia, and State of Penn-
sylvania, United States of America, Gentlemen, 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 forging car and similar wheels, and it has
for its object to effect certain improvements in the anvil dies of steam hammers
employed for forging steel car and similar wheels whereby the work of the hammer
will be rendered more positive and accurate. To this end the main and primary
object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful construction of
anvil die for steam hammers that shall positively insure the proper positioning of
the blank disk of steel relative to the center of the vertically reciprocating
hammer, whereby the entire machine will sustain the least possible degree of
jarring or strain, while at the same time the blank disk itself will have the strain
of hammering equally distributed throughout the same to obviate splitting.
cracking or the formation of other defects and it will therefore be held in a
position so as to be truly and accurately formed while the flange and tread are
forged into shape thereon.
With these and other objects in view which will readily appear as the nature
of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction
combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described,
illustrated and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a steam hammer embodying the hereindescribed
improvements, showing the blank disk of steel in position for having the tread and
flange of a car wheel forged thereon, the dotted lines showing the points of contact
of the blank disk during the forging of the tread and flange thereon.
Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line a- of Fig. 1, showing the blank
disk of a car wheel with the tread and flange formed thereon.
Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one side of the anvil die of the hammer
showing the pocket or notch for the formation of a car wheel.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the opposite side of the anvil die showing the pocket
or notch for the formation of a trolley or similar wheel.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates an ordinary steam
hammer frame within which is mounted to reciprocate the vertically-moving steam-
actuated hammer 2, to which is connected in the usual manner the hammer-die 3.
The hammer-die 3 is provided with a bottom flat die-face 4, and with opposite
offstanding die-projections 5 and 5, that are extended from opposite sides of the
hammer-die, and are respectively provided with under die faces 6 and 6ª, to
assist in forming the tread of the wheel and at the inner edges of said under
die faces 6, with the flange forming grooves 7 and 7%, corresponding in shape
and curvature to the flange of the wheel that is to be forced into shape by the-
hammer-die.
Arranged on the base of the frame 1 under the hammer-die in the usual
position and in the ordinary manner is the anvil die 8 of the hanımer. The anvil
die 8 of the hammer is provided with the usual flat top face 9, that is opposed to
the flat under face 4 of the bammer-die, and between these two faces 4 and 9

page_text: the ingot or bloom of steel is adapted to be evenly reduced and upset to form a
suitable size blank disk X such as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The said
anvil die 8 is provided at opposite sides thereof aut below the plane of the flat
top face 9 thereof, with integral offset portions 10 and 10% respectively having
the supporting pockets or notches 11 and 11 that are adapted to receive therein,
in an upright position, the blank disk of steel X so as to hold the same properly
in position for being operated upon by the hammer-die to form the tread and
flange thereon.
Since the foregoing operation is practically the same in connection with both
of the opposite pockets or notches 11 and 11, particular attention will be first
directed to the construction and use of the pocket or notch 11, which is of a
V- or semi-elliptical shape, and is the essential feature of the present invention
to provide for the forging of steel car wheels into a finished shape. At the
inner edge of the semi-elliptical or V-shaped pocket or notch 11, the said
anvil die is further provided with a flange-rabbet or groove 12, that is opposed
to the flange-groove 7 of the die-projection 5 of the hammer-die, and together
with such groove receives the upset metal that is forged into the usual flange for
the car wheel.
In operation, the semi-elliptical or V-shaped pocket or notch 10 of the anvil-
die is disposed directly under the die-projection 5 of the hammer-die, so that as
the hammer reciprocates and works onto the blank disk X, the tread and flange of
the car wheel will be forged into shape as is well understood by those skilled in the
art. By reason of the specific shape of the pocket or notch 11, it is to be
particularly noted that the center of the blank disk or wheel that is supported
within said pocket or notch is constantly maintained in a line with the center of
the hammer that operates thereon, which is a very desirable feature in power or
steam hammers in order that there will be a constant and even blow delivered to
the object being operated upon and at the same time obviating a straining or
jarring of the machine which is often due to the fact that the center of the object
being hammered is out of alignment with the center of the hammer itself. In
this connection it is to be further observed that the depth of the pocket or notch 11,
is sufficient to accommodate the disk or wheel as it reduces in circumference under
the forging action of the hammer, and will therefore always keep the center of
the disk or wheel coincident or in alignment with the center of the hammer as
already noted.
Owing to the shape of the pocket or notch 11 the blank disk of steel X has a
bearing contact therein at two points which are at opposite sides of the center of
the disk and en opposite sides of the pocket or notch, and by reason of the
centering of the disk as described, the hammer-die descends on top of the same
directly in a line with the center thereof so that during the operation of the
forging, the blank disk or wheel has three separate points of contact whereby the
strain incident to forging will be evenly distributed throughout the entire blank.
This even distribution of the strain of hammering on the blank disk prevents the
same from cracking, splitting or having other defects produced as will be understood
by those skilled in the art.
During the operation of the machine it is of course understood that the blank
disk is constantly turned within the pocket or notch in the ordinary manner and
the bearing such disk has in the pocket or notch absolutely prevents it from
becoming displaced and the rabbet or groove 12 that receives the upset flange
may be said to hold the disk perfectly steady and to form a bearing therefor
while being turned, so that the disk is held in the best possible position for true
and accurate forging.
The die projection 5 in conjunction with the semi-elliptical or V-shaped
supporting pocket or notch 11 provides means for forging steel car wheels into a
finished shape as already described, and this construction forms the essential
feature of the present invention, while the die projection 5 in conjunction with
the pocket or notch 11° are practically duplications of the die projection 5 and

page_text: the pocket or notch 11 at the opposite sides of the hammer and anvil dies, and
are principally intended for use in the formation or forging of trolley and similar
wheels...
To provide for the forging of trolley and similar wheels, the supporting pocket
or notch 11 at the side of the anvil die opposite the pocket or notch 11 is
preferably of a truly semi-circular shape and is of a less depth than the pocket or
notch 11 and at the inner edge of the semi-circular pocket or notch 11, the anvil
die is also provided with a flange forming rabbet or groove 12, which subserves
the same function as the rabbet or groove 12 in connection with the pocket or
notch 11. The forging operation at both sides of the hammer and anvil dies is
the same as already described and needs no further description at this point in
connection with the use of the semi-circular pocket or notch 11*.
From the above it is thought that the construction operation and many
advantages of the hereindescribed machine will be readily apparent without
further description, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion
and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from
the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a machine for forging wheels, the combination with the hammer die
having a side die projection, of the anvil die provided at one side with a two-sided
pocket or notch having its vertical center in alignment with the vertical center of
the hammer die, substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine for forging wheels, an anvil die provided at one side with a
supporting pocket or notch having opposite contact surfaces, and a rabbet or
groove at the inner edges of said pocket or notch, the vertical center of said pocket
or notch being in alignment with the vertical center of the hammer die, substan-
tially as set forth.
3. In a machine for forging car-wheels singly, the combination with the hammer
die having a side die-projection, of an anvil die provided with a flat top face, and
at one side and entirely below the plane of said top face with an integral offset
portion, said integral offset portion being provided therein with a semi-elliptical or
V-shaped supporting pocket or notch, and with a continuous rabbet or groove that
is disposed at the extreme inner edge of said pocket or notch, the inner wall of
the rabbet or groove being formed by the adjacent flat side of the main body of
the anvil die which side of the anvil die forms the closed inner side of the pocket
or notch and also forms a lateral support for the wheel blank, the vertical center
of the pocket or notch being in alignment with the vertical center of the hammer
die-projection, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.