Improvements in Means for the Manufacture of Beads, Balls, or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec.. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 24th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for the Manufacture of Beads, Balls,
or the like.
I, CHARLES THOMAS MITCHELL, of Waterloo House, Rowheath Road, King's
Norton, Worcestershire, Stamper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :—
This invention relates to improvements in means for the manufacture of beads,.
the like, and has reference more particularly to the rudimentary
manufacture of steel balls, for the bearings of cycles or other purposes, but which
improved device may be also employed for the manufacture of other articles which
may be capable of similar treatment as herein described. The device consists
essentially of a rotating disc or wheel whose periphery is cut, shaped or grooved in
a peculiar manner, and acting in concert with a segmental block whose inner
surface follows somewhat that of the periphery of the wheel for about one third of
its circumference-which may be more or less-and whose said inner surface is cut
shaped or grooved similar to that of the said wheel. This block is firmly fixed in
position above the rotating wheel.
The whole may be varied as to detail of construction but such a device as
suitable for the rudimentary making of steel balls may be made as follows:-A
suitable strong frame is provided upon which is made bearings to receive a
horizontal spindle. This spindle may be driven by any suitable gearing, but for
this work I usually fix thereon a toothed wheel driven by a pinion upon a driving
spindle which latter is provided with pulleys and fly wheel.
Upon the first named spindle is fixed the rotating disc or wheel having its
surface cut into circumferential semi-circular grooves of the sectional size of the
balls required. These grooves are as close to each other as permissible so that
their sides come as near to a knife edge as allowable. The segmental block has
its inner surface similarly prepared and is so fixed that its said inner surface is
made taperwise to the periphery of the wheel. Hence when the machine is
running a rod of heated steel is placed across the wheel (axially) and passed in
between the fixed black and the wheel, the latter immediately grips hold of it
and rolls it forward, thereby squeezing it into the grooves and dividing it off into
so many ball like pieces, until as it reaches the end of the block, the latter is so
close to the wheel, that the said balls are completely severed from each other and
fall away from the machine. These are afterwards taken up and further treated,
as usual in the grinding, polishing, sizing &c. processes.
It will be seen that other shapes than those of the spherical form may be
similarly treated, by modifying the surface of the wheel and block to suit.
Dated this 4th day of December 1896.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for the Manufacture of Beads, Balls,
or the like.
I, CHARLES THOMAS MITCHELL, of Waterloo House, Rowheath Road, King's
Norton, in the County of Worcester, Stamper, 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, and accompanying
drawing, that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in means for the manufacture of beads,
balls, or the like, and more particularly for the manufacture of steel balls, such
as are used in the bearings of bicycles, and for other purposes.
The invention relates to apparatus or devices by means of which (assuming
that it is to be applied to the forging or formation by rolling pressure of small
steel balls which are afterwards finished and polished in the usual way and used in
cycle bearings) a heated steel bar or rod of proper diameter introduced into the
machine is formed into a number of spheres which are simultaneously formed and
cut off from the bar, and delivered from the machine in a proper condition to be
finished and polished, the operation described being extremely rapid, and another
length of the same heated steel bar, or another similar bar, being then supplied to
the machine to be made into balls, and so on as long as may be desired.
I am aware that it has been proposed to make balls from steel bars, used cold
instead of hot and only one ball being made at a time from the bar, or to make
one ball at a time from a heated metal bar, a considerable portion of the bar
between each completed ball and the next one made being unused; but such
methods have not been effective for the required purposes, the process being too
slow and expensive, and the waste of material being considerable.
By my present invention the balls are turned out at great speed in very large
numbers, a predetermined number-which may be eight, ten, twelve, more or less
-being formed upon and cut off from the bar at each operation, whilst the
machine is sinple, inexpensive in first cost and in working, easily used, and not
liable to get out of order.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention, Figures 1 and 2
being side views, and Figure 3 a plan, showing a machine making twelve balls
from a heated steel rod at each operation. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11,
represent detailed views of different parts of the machine.
a is a frame of iron or other suitable material and of sufficient strength. Upon
this frame are fixed or formed strong bearings band o in which revolves a
horizontal shaft d, provided with a flywheel c and shown with fast and loose
pullies at by which (or by other equivalent meaus) the shaft is made to revolve
at the desired speed.
This shaft drives, preferably by means of a toothed pinion g and wheel h, a
strong shaft i which revolves in bearings k and l, and upon which is firmly fixed a
steel wheel, disc, or drum, m, round the periphery of which are formed any
determined number of parallel grooves, semi-circular in cross section, and having a
width equal to the diameter of the steel balls which are to be made by it. These
grooves are made as close to each other as possible, their outer edges, where any
two grooves meet, being brought to a sufficiently sharp edge.
Outside and above the grooved steel wheel or drum m is arranged a corresponding
segment of a hollow cylinder or ring n, preferably extending about half way round
the drum m. The segment n is grooved internally (as shown in transverse section
upon a larger scale in Figure 8) with semi-circular grooves exactly corresponding
with those round the drum m, and it is firmly fixed to the frame of the machine at

page_text: its lower or outer end o, in such a position that the grooves on its inside are exactly
opposite and adjacent to those round the drum m, the sharp edges which divide the
adjoining grooves in the segment being as close as possible to those which divide
the grooves round the drum, so that each pair of semicircular grooves form at this
part a complete circle the diameter of which is the same as that of the balls to be
made by the machine.
The other end at p of the grooved segment n is raised somewhat from the drum m..
being adjusted and held firmly in the desired position by strong screwed bolts r and
nuts s, by which the distance of the part p of the segment n from the drum m can
be exactly adjusted and retained; and lateral adjustments may also be providel,
if necessary, to keep the grooves in the former exactly opposite those in the
latter.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The position of the segment n being
exactly adjusted so that at its end p the grooves round its interior are sufficiently
separated from those round the exterior of the drum m to allow a heated steel rod
of proper diameter to enter between them, when held against them (as shown at t..
in Figure 1) in a position parallel with the axis of the drum, and the latter being
made to revolve in the direction of the arrow, the heated rod is drawn between the
grooves and as the space between those on the drum and the segment diminishes
(towards o) the edges between the grooves cut, compress, and form the adjoining
part of the bar into a shape approaching spherical, as indicated in Figure 9. As
the grooves continue to approach each other, the spherical shape becomes more
defined, as indicated in Figure 10, and finally they are formed into perfect spheres
which are separated by the sharp edges between the adjoining grooves, as indicated
in Figure 11, and the finished balls fall out, at o, from the grooves, and are then
completed by grinding, polishing, and sizing, in the usual way.
An adjustable support may be used to support the heated bar before it is
introduced between the grooves. An adjustable stop may also be used to determine
its position longitudinally.
As the grooves extend completely round the drum m, which is in continuous.
revolution, the hot bar can be inserted at any part of the circumference, and when
it has entered between the grooves it is carried forward by the revolution of the
drum, and is rolled round as it travels until the operation is finished. If desired,
& succession of heated bars can be introduced, so that two or more are being
operated upon at the same time, and very large numbers of balls are rapidly made.
As the grooves are formed on, and entirely surround, the drum itself, the latter is
little liable to wear, and lasts for a long time.
The diameter of the bar or rod should be such that a part of its length equal to
the diameter of a ball should be of such diameter that such a part shall contain
exactly the quantity of material to make a finished ball.
Any number of parallel grooves may be used, and there is no waste of the steel
or other material used for making the balls, a large number of which are made.
simultaneously.
It is evident that by suitably modifying the shape of the grooves round the
revolving drum and inside the fixed segment, articles of other shape, as well as
spherical balls may be made.
I do not confine myself to the precise details of form and arrangement, or the
proportion of the several parts, but
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 machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of beads, balls, and the like,
by forming and cutting off two or more simultaneously from a heated bar or rod,
by means of a continuously revolving drum or disc having a number of parallel
grooves entirely round its periphery, the parts between the grooves being brought
to a cutting edge, a fixed segment of a cylinder correspondingly grooved internally

page_text: being adjustably fixed round the grooved drum, the fixed segment being adjusted
Bo that the cutting edges between the grooves at one end are close to the cutting
edges between the grooves round the revolving drum, whilst at the other end of the
segment the cutting edges between its grooves are removed sufficiently from the
cutting edges between the grooves round the drum, so that a heated bar of properly
determined diameter can be inserted, parallel with the axis of the drum, at such
open part between the grooves on the drum and the grooves in the segment, and is
then seized and rolled forward and at one operation compressed into a number of
balls equal to the number of parallel grooves, which balls are finally separated by
the cutting edges between the grooves at the other end of the fixed segment where
they are delivered from the machine, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In the machine for the manufacture of beads, balls, and the like, as described
in the first claim, the combination of the frame a, bearings k, l, shaft i, and means
for causing the revolution of the said shaft, druin m grooved externally with a
number of parallel grooves, and adjustable fixed segment n similarly grooved
internally, and arranged so that the space between the grooves in the segment n
and the grooves round the drum m, is wider at the end p of the segment n than at
the end o, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The combination with the internally grooved segment n, of the screwed bolts
and nuts by which the relative positions of the grooves round the drum m and the
grooves in the segment n can be exactly adjusted and fixed, substantially as
described and illustrated.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.