Improvements in and Machinery for the Manufacture of Carriage Axles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Machinery for the Manufacture of Carriage
Axles.
We, JABEZ LONES, and CHARLES VERNON and EDWARD HOLDEN and
RALPH BENNETT, trading as Lones, Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron Works,
Smethwick in the County of Stafford Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists in manufacturing carriage axles by rolling operations
conducted in the manner and by the use of the rolling machinery and the adjuncts
of the said machinery hereinafter described whereby the central collar of the
carriage axle together with the front and back collars are made solid to or in one
piece with the bed and arm of the axle.
The rolling operation which we employ is that commonly known as back rolling ;
that is to say the pairs of rolls used have a continuous rotary motion given to them
and move in a direction proper to deliver the partially made axle back to the
workman in front of the rolls, about one third of the periphery of each roll being
cut away for introducing the bar of iron or steel or partially made axle between
the rolls. To the cut away face of each roll we fix a plate or stop extending the
whole length of the roll. The opposed edges of these plates or stops have such a
size and configuration that when brought together by the rotation of the pair of
rolls they form shaping or fashioning "eyes or bushes coincident with the grooves
in the rolls, the contour and depth of the said eyes or bushes being such as will
receive the portion of the bar to form the central collar of the axle and will fashion
the back and front collars of the axle and limit the action of the rolls upon the bar
or partly made axle being operated upon.
In making a carriage, axle according to our invention and by the use of the
rolling machinery described and its adjuncts we proceed as follows:-We take a
cylindrical faggotted bar of iron or homogeneous steel of a diameter equal to that
of the central collar to be made and of the required length. The bar being heated
sufficiently for fashioning it by rolling, we grip one end or portion of it by means
of a pair of hand tongs, the gripped length being sufficient to form the arm, front
collar and central collar of the axle ; and we operate upon the portion of the bar
projecting from the tongs by means of a pair of back action rolls; that is, when the
cut away parts of the rolls are presented to the workman at the front of the rolls he
passes that part of the heated bar to be operated upon through one of the shaping
eyes or bushes in the plates or stops at the front of the rolls into the grooves of the
rolls opposite that "eye" or bush. The back collar of the axle is thus shaped or
fashioned by the said eye or bush leaving the part of the bar behind the back
collar, to form the central collar, unoperated upon. By the back working action
of the rolls the part of the bar introduced between the grooves is rolled square in
cross section so as to form the bed of the axle. By subsequent rolling operations
and by the use of stops and shaping "eyes" or bushes in front of the rolls one
portion of the square bed is rolled of an octagonal figure and another portion is
rolled of a cylindrical figure the part of the bed nearest the back collar being
unoperated upon.
The partly made axle is next passed to a second pair of rolls of the kind last
described for operating upon the part of the bar which was left of the original
diameter. The shaping plates and stops at the front of the cut away parts of the
second pair of rolls are so indented or recessed that they will receive a portion of
the unoperated part of the bar adjacent to the back collar, sufficient to form the
central collar and also shape the frout collar when the partially made axle is

page_text: introduced between the rolls. By the back working action of the rolls the
unoperated part of the bar adjacent to the front collar is reduced to the proper size
for forming the arm of the axle.
By the last described operations the part of the bar unoperated upon forms a
central collar, the said central collar having on one side of it the front collar
fashioned by the shaping "eye" or bush of the plate and on the other side of the
central collar, the back collar formed on the bar by the first described rolling
operation. The central collar together with the front and back collars are thus
made solid to or in one piece with the bed and arm of the axle.
Dated the 10th day of lul-1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Machinery for the Manufacture of Carriage
Axles.
We JABEZ LONES and CHARLES VERNON and EDWARD HOLDEN and RALPH
BENNETT trading as Lones, Vernon and Holden, of Sandwell Iron Works,
Sinethwick in the County of Stafford Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature
of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention consists in manufacturing carriage axles substantially by rolling
operations conducted in the manner and by the use of the rolling machinery and
the adjuncts of the said machinery hereinafter described, whereby the central
collar of the carriage axle together with the front and back collars are made solid
to or in one piece with the bed and arm of the axle.
The rolling operation which we employ is that commonly known as back rolling ;
that is to say, the pairs of rolls used have a continuous rotary motion given to them
and move in a direction proper to deliver the partially made axle back to the
workıran in front of the rolls, about one third of the periphery of each roll being
cut away for introducing the bar of iron or steel or partially made axle between
the rolls. To the cut away face of each roll we fix à plate or stop extending the
whole length of the roll. The opposed edges of these plates or stops have such a
size and configuration that when brought together by the rotation of the pair of
rolls they form eyes or bushes coincident with the grooves in the rolls, the contour
and depth of the said eyes or bushes being such as will receive the portion of the
bar to form the central collar of the axle and will permit of the fashioning of the
back and front collars of the axle and limit the action of the rolls upon the bar or
partly made axle being operated upon.
In making a carriage axle according to our invention and by the use of the
rolling machinery described and its adjuncts we proceed as follows;-We take a
cylindrical faggoted bar of iron or homogeneous steel of a diameter equal to that
of the central collar to be made and of the required length. The bar being heated
sufficiently for fashioning it by rolling, we grip one end or portion of it by means
of a pair of hand tongs, the gripped length being sufficient to form the arm, front
collar and central collar of the axle; and we operate upon the portion of the bar
projecting from the tongs by means of a pair of back action rolls, that is when the
cut away parts of the rolls are presented to the workman at the front of the rolls
he passes that part of the heated bar to be operated upon through one of the eyes
or bushes in the plates or stops at the front of the rolls into the grooves of the rolls
opposite that " eye or bush. The back collar of the axle is thus shaped or
fashioned by the said eye or bush leaving the part of the bar behind the back
collar to form the central collar unoperated upon. By the back working action of
the rolls the part of the bar introduced between the grooves is rolled square in cross
section so as to form the bed of the axle. By subsequent rolling operations and by
"

page_text: the use of stops and ".
"
eyes or bushes in front of the rolls, one portion of the
square bed is rolled of an octagonal figure and another portion is rolled of a
cylindrical figure.
The partly made axle is next passed to a second pair of rolls of the kind last
described for operating upon the part of the bar which was left of the original
diameter. The plates and stops at the front of the cut away parts of the second
pair of rolls are so indented or recessed that they will receive a portion of the
unoperated part of the bar adjacent to the back collar, sufficient to form the
central collar and permit of the shaping of the front collar when the partially
made axle is introduced between the rolls. By the back working action of the
rolls the unoperated part of the bar adjacent to the front collar is reduced to the
proper size for forming the arm of the axle.
By the last described operations the part of the bar unoperated upon forms a
central collar, the said central collar having on one side of it the front collar and
on the other side of the central collar, the back collar formed on the bar by the
first described rolling operation. The central collar together with the front and
back collars are thus made solid to or in one piece with the bed and arm of the
axle.
Or a cylindrical bar having the diameter of the back collar may be taken and
the portion to form the back collar and central collar be left unoperated upon by
the rolls, the central collar being formed by a stamping or compressing operation,
so as to expand a portion of the bar unoperated upon and leave the back collar of
the original diameter of the cylindrical bar.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent side elevations and end elevations and
cross sections of a finished carriage axle and the different stages of the manufacture
according to our invention of a carriage axle known as a Mail axle.
Figure 8 represents in side elevation a partly made Collinge axle and Figure 9
represents a finished Collinge axle made according to our invention.
Figure 10 represents in side elevation and Figure 11 in cross section the pair of
back action rolls, together with the plates or stops fixed to the cut away faces of
the rolls, which we use in the early stages of the manufacture of the axle and
Figure 11 represents detached the pair of plates or stops which are fixed to the
rolls, drawn to a larger scale.
с
Figure 12 represents in side elevation and Figure 13 in cross section, the right
hand end of the pair of rolls Figures 10 and 11 drawn to a larger scale and
Figure 14 represents in section and Figure 15 in side elevation and plan the
adjustable stop used at the front of the pair of rolls. The pair of back action
rolls are marked a and b and the cut away faces of the rolls are marked a² and 6².
The plates or stops fixed to the cut away faces of the rolls are marked c and d.
The opposed edges of the said plates or stops have such a size and configuration
that when brought together by the rotation of the rolls they form eyes or bushes
coincident with the square grooves e, e in the rolls, the contour and depth of the
said eyes or bushes being such as will receive the end of that portion of the bar
which is not to be operated upon by the rolls. The fixed stop plates c, d on the rolls
are cut away at opposite the partly angular and partly circular grooves g in the
rolls; and in front of the rolls is a stop i best seen in Figures 12, 13 and 14.
The said stop i is capable of adjustment nearer to or further from the rolls by the
screw pins and slots at k. The upper edge of the stop i is indented or has V shaped
depressions in which the angular part of the bar rests. The grooves e, e in the
pair of back action rolls a, b at the front of which the stop plates c, d are fixed are
square in cross section but the grooves y, h at the right hand end of the rolls are
circular in cross section through the greater part of their length and are marked
but near the cut away parts of the rolls the said grooves are octagonal in cross
section the said octagonal parts of the grooves being marked g.
Figure 16 represents in side elevation and Figure 17 in cross section the pair of

page_text: back action rolls and their stop plates which we use in the later stages of the
manufacture of the axle, and Figure 17^ represents the pair of stop plates fixed to
the cut away parts of the rolls detached, drawn to a larger scale; Figures 18
and 19 represent portions of the rolls drawn to a larger scale and Figures 20
and 21 represent an arrangement for adjusting the stop plates at the desired
distance apart. In this the second pair of back action rolls a, b two cut away
faces a², a²; 2, 2 are made in each roll, each cut away face being provided
with a stop plate so that two rolling operations may be performed on the bar at
each rotation of the rolls. The adjustable stop at the front of the rolls a, b is
marked. The grooves in the second pair of rolls a, b are cylindrical and of
different diameters at different parts, the part m of each groove near the stop
plate being of greater diameter than the other part n of the groove (see
Figure 19).
l
l
The stop plates 1, I may either be fixed as illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18 and 19
or capable of adjustment as illustrated in Figures 20 and 21. In the latter case
each of the adjustable stop plates are provided with screw pins p which work in
screwed holes or screw boxes in the said stop plates, the heads of the screw pins
bearing against the cut away parts of the rolls so that they are incapable of an
advancing motion (see Figure 20); 9, y are guide pins and slots the said screw pins
being screwed into the rolls. By rotating the adjusting screw pins p, p in one or
other direction, after the guide pins q,y have been relaxed, the stop plates 1, 1 rise
or fall upon the screw pins p,p and thereby adjust their acting edges at the
desired distance apart. After the stop plates have been adjusted, the guide
pins y, are driven home so as to fix the adjusted stop plates.
We will now describe our method of manufacturing a Mail carriage axle in con-
junction with the rolling machinery and appliances which we use.
We take the cylindrical bar of wrought iron or steel represented in Figure 1,
the said bar having a diameter equal to that of the back collar of the axle to be
made and of the required length. The bar Figure 1 being heated sufficiently for
fashioning it by rolling, the workman grips a portion of it by means of a pair of
tongs, the gripped length being sufficient to form the arm and collars of the axle
and he operates upon the projecting part of the bar Figure 1 by means of the back
action rolls represented in Figures 10 and 11, that is, when the cut away faces a³, b
of the rolls a, b are presented to the workman at the front of the rolls he passes
the part of the heated bar to be operated upon through an eye or bush in the stop
plates c,
d into the grooves e, e in the rolls opposite the said eye or bush the end of
the part of the bar not to be operated upon being received in the said eye or bush
of the stop plates. The grooves selected and the number of times the bar is
operated upon depends on the size of the axle being made. By the back rolling
action of the rolls the part of the heated bar introduced between the grooves e, e
is rolled square in cross section so as to form the bed of the axle. The bar thus
operated upon has the form given to it represented in Figure 2, where the square
part is marked
and the cylindrical part unoperated upon by the rolls is marked r.
The partly made axle Figure 2 is next operated upon by the rolls in the manner
represented in Figures 3 and 4 so as to elongate one half of the square part 9 and
give the part operated upon a cylindrical figure as represented in Figures 3 and 4,
the cylindrical part q2 joining the square part q by the octagonal portion marked q².
The last described rolling operations are effected in the grooves g, h in the rolls, the
said grooves being situated opposite the cut away part of the stop plates c, d,
the workman supporting the bar in the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 11
upon the front stop i, the angular parts g of the grooves in the rolls, giving the
octagonal form to the bar at 3 and the cylindrical parts of the grooves giving
the cylindrical form to the bar at gas will be understood by an examination of
Figures 12 and 13. The partly made axle Figure 2 is passed through the required
number of the grooves a, h in the rolls to convert it into the partly made axle
Figure 4. The bed of the axle q and the cylindrical part q' are thus formed. We
next present the unoperated part r of the partly made axle, as represented in

page_text: Figure 5, to the grooves of the second pair of rolls represented in Figures 16, 17,
18 and 19 and by means of the said rolls and their appliances we form from the
part g of the partly made axle, the front collars and arm t of the axle as repre-
sented in Figure 6. To effect this, the portion or length of the part not to be
operated upon is passed into the eyes or bushes of the stop plates 1, I fixed to the
rolls a, b, opposite the grooves which are to operate upon the part passed between
the grooves, the partly made axle being supported on the front stop at i the tongs
holding the heated bar being placed against the said stop as seen in Figure 17. By
the back action of the rolls, the partly made axle is returned to the workman at
the front of the rolls, and the front collars and arm t are shaped from that part
of the bar at r which was passed between the grooves as represented in Figure 6
the front collar s being shaped by the enlarged cylindrical parts of the grooves
at m, m near the stop plates 1, and the arm t being shaped by the other cylin-
drical parts n, n of the grooves as will be understood by an examination of
Figure 17 and the enlarged sectional view of the rolls Figure 19.
The next operation is the formation from the part of the partly made axle
Figure 6 of the back collar and central collar a as represented in the finished
axle Figure 7. This is effected by means of an upsetting action in the pair of dies
represented in longitudinal section in Figures 22 and 23 and cross section in
Figure 24; Figure 22 representing the pair of dies open, before the upsetting
action has been effected on the axle and Figure 23 representing the pair of dies
closed after the upsetting action has been effected on the axle. Each die is made
in two parts. The die y², y has a horizontal sliding motion given to it and the
other die y, y is stationary during the sliding motion of the other die. The
upper parts y and y' of the two dies are capable of a vertical sliding motion to
and from the other parts y³, y to permit of the partly made axle being placed
between the acting faces of the dies and of being gripped between them.
In the
die y', y portions of the part r and bed 7 of the partly made axle Figure 6 are
placed and in the die y², y³, the front collar s and arm t are placed in the manner
represented in Figure 22. By the closing or horizontal sliding motion of the
die y, y³ Figure 22, an upsetting action or a blow or pressure in the direction of
the length of the axle is given to the part and the said part r forced and
expanded between the vertical faces of the closed dies, so as thereby to form the
central collar as represented in Figures 7 and 23, the parts forming the back
collar u and the front collars being unoperated upon by the dies. A central-
collar a together with the front collars and back collar are thus made solid to or
in one piece with the bed q, arm t and part 2 of the axle as represented in
Figure 7.
In making according to our invention axles called Collinge's axles which have
only a large collar y adjacent to the front collars as represented in Figure 9, we
take the partly made axle Figure 8, made as described with respect to Figure 6
and place it in the pair of open dies ², ³ and ¹, a represented in section in
Figure 25 and by giving a horizontal sliding motion to the die 2, 3, expand by an
upsetting action the part Figure 8 between the vertical faces of the dies a²,
and, as represented in Figure 26 and thereby form from the part r the large
collar y as represented in Figures 9 and 26. The dies, and, are of the
same construction as the dies, y and y', y excepting that the acting faces of
the two parts of the die a, are only fitted to grip the bed y of the partly
made axle.
Instead of making the central collar of the Mail axle Figure 7, or the larger
collar y of the Collinge axle Figure 9 by an upsetting and expanding action in a
die, the said collars x and y may be made by rolling operations in back action rolls
having the appliances hereinbefore described. In this case, a cylindrical bar of
the kind represented in Figure 1 is taken having the diameter of the central
collar Figure 7 or the larger collar y Figure 9 and by rolling operations and by
the use of the stop plates on the rolls we reduce and shape the metal on either side
the part to form the central or large collar in the same manner as the front and

page_text: back collars s and u are made and left on the bar, the part from which the central
or the large collar is made being unoperated upon by the rolls. The eyes or
bushes in the stop plates on the rolls are in this case of the size and shape proper
to receive the collar which is to be left on the bar being rolled.
The other parts of the axle are formed substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described with respect to a Mail or Collinge axle in which the central collar or
large collar is made by an upsetting and expanding operation in a die.
Although we have described the making of the bed part of the axle by first
treating the cylindrical bar and afterwards the collars and arm from the part which
has not been operated upon by the rolls, yet the collars and arm may be first formed
and afterwards the bed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim
as our invention of " Improvements in and machinery for the manufacture of
carriage axles";-
Manufacturing carriage axles by rolling operations or by rolling and upsetting
and expanding operations the said rolling operations being conducted in the manner
and by the use of back action rolls and adjuncts of the kinds hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereby the collars of the
axle are made solid to or in one piece with the bed and arm of the axle; that is to
say, taking a cylindrical bar or billet of iron or steel of the diameter either of the
back collar or of the central or large collar of the axle to be made and subjecting
the bar to rolling operations by the use of back action rolls, the cut away faces of
which are provided with plates or stops, the opposed edges of which when brought
together by the rotation of the rolls form between them eyes or bushes coincident
with the grooves in the rolls for receiving the end of the part of the bar or partly
made axle and limiting the action of the rolls upon it; whether the collars of the
axle be made wholly by rolling by the use of the said back action rolls and their
adjuncts, or partly by rolling and partly by an upsetting and expanding operation
in a die or dies substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated the Twenty-second day of March 1803
JABEZ LONES.
CHARLES VERNON.
EDWARD HOLDEN.
RALPH BENNETT.
JABEZ LONES.
CHARLES VERNON.
EDWARD HOLDEN.
RALPH BENNETT.