IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED AXLES, CRANKED. SHAFTS, AND OTHER HEAVY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wilson, of the Bridgewater Foundry,
Patricroft, near the City of Manchester, Engineer, and John Nuttall,
of the same Place,. Manager, for the Invention. of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED AXLES, CRANKED. SHAFTS, AND OTHER HEAVY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wilson and John
Nuttall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 25th September 1867.
We, ROBERT WILSON, of the Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, near the
City of Manchester, Engineer, and JOHN NUTTALL, of the same Place,.
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED AXLES, CRANKED SHAFTS, AND
OTHER HEAVY FORGINGS," to be as follows:-
Knowing the great variety of severe strains to which a cranked axle or
cranked shaft is subjected we have directed our attention to a method
of producing a superior article of this class than has hitherto been attained.
In the manufacture of cranked axles and other articles it is customary
to make, the bloom of three or more slabs composed of scrap or other iron,

page_text: which slabs are piled upon each other without regard to the direction of
the fibre, and welded under the hammer. In so manufacturing cranked axles
and other articles it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain sound
forgings in consequence of the exterior of the slabs (which are necessarily of a
large size) being liable to be burnt before the interior is sufficiently heated,
and so causing not only considerable waste of material but great deterioration
in its quality.
Now our Invention consists in manufacturing the blooms for cranked axles
and other articles by piling together flat or other forms of bars of iron, such
bars being arranged in rows lying at right angles to each other and diagonally
in opposite directions (the fibre of the iron running in all cases lengthways of
these bars) until a single pile is produced of sufficient height and size for the
bloom required. The pile when heated is hammered in the usual way to the
required dimensions.
When cranked axles and other articles are manufactured from blooms
produced in the manner above described they will be found perfectly sound
and homogeneous in texture throughout, because the blooms being composed
of a number of small bars (in place of three or more large slabs) the heat
required to penetrate to the centre of these bars is insufficient to burn the
outsides and so deteriorate the quality of the material.
Cranked axles made by this method will also be much stronger than
those made in the usual manner because by the interweaving of the fibres
of the iron they become so disposed as to better withstand. the great variety
of strains to which such articles are subjected.
SPÉCIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Wilson and John Nuttall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
WILSON, of the Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, near the City of Manchester,
Engineer, and John Nuttall, of the same Place, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Robert Wilson and John Nuttall, Her special license that
we, the said Robert Wilson and John Nuttall, our executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Wilson and John Nuttall,
our 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OP CRANKED AXLES, CRANKED SHAFTS, AND OTHER HEAVY FORGINGS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Wilson and John
Nuttall, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the Robert Wilson and John Nuttall, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
Knowing the great variety of severe strains to which a cranked axle or
cranked shaft is subjected we have directed our attention to a method of
producing articles of this class superior to those hitherto attained.
:
In the manufacture of cranked axles, and other axles it is customary
to make the bloom of three or more slabs composed of scrap or other iron,
which slabs are piled upon each other without regard to the direction of the
fibre, and welded under the hammer. In so manufacturing cranked axles
and other articles it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain sound.
forgings in consequence of the exterior of the slabs (which are necessarily of a
large size) being liable to be burnt before the interior is sufficiently heated,
and so causing not only considerable waste of material but great deterioration
in its quality.
Now our Invention consists in manufacturing the blooms for cranked axles
and other articles by piling together flat or other forms of bars of iron, such
bars being arranged in rows lying at right angles or diagonally to each other
or in opposite directions (the fibre of the iron running in all cases lengthways
of these bars) until a single pile is produced of sufficient size or weight for
the bloom required. The pile when heated is hammered in the usual way to
the required dimensions.
When cranked axles and other articles are manufactured from blooms
produced in the manner above described, they will generally be found perfectly

page_text: sound and homogeneous in texture throughout, because; the blooms being
composed of a number of small bars (in place of three or more large slabs),
heat required sufficient for welding; penetrates to the centre of these bars
without burning the outsides and deteriorating the quality of the material.
Cranked axles made by this method are much stronger than those made in
the usual manner because by the-crossing of the fibres of the iron, as above
described, they become so disposed as to withstand the great variety of
strains to which such articles are subjected better than heretofore.
The accompanying Sheet of Diagrams will illustrate a convenient mode
of carrying our Invention into operation.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the first layer of bars for the
bloom. We prefer to make the bloom of flat bars of iron placed side by side,
but their edges not touching each other, but other forms of bars may be used;
the first layer of bars forms a square or other shape according to the form
and size of bloom required. Figure 2 represents the second layer of bars,
which are laid at right angles, but may be placed diagonally, as in Figure 3, to
the bars forming the first layer. Figure 3 represents the third layer of bars
placed diagonally or otherwise across the previous layer; Figure 4 represents
the fourth layer of bars which are also placed diagonally or otherwise on the
third layer. The fifth layer may be similar to the first or second, and when
blooms of a considerable depth are required, any number of layers are piled
upon each other in the foregoing or other succession until the requisite
thickness, size, or weight is obtained, as shewn in Figure 5.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described a convenient
mode of carrying the same into operation, we wish it to be understood that we
do not limit ourselves to the details given as the same may be considerably varied
and modified, but what we claim is the piling together several layers of bars
of iron lying at right angles or diagonally to each other, to form a bloom
for the manufacture of cranked axles, cranked shafts, and other heavy
forgings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Wilson and John Nuttall,
have hereto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of March
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
ROBERT WILSON. (L.S.)
JOHN NUTTALL.
(L.S.)