IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CHAIRS
Year: 1851

page_text: BARLOW, of Chancery Lane, London, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one,
did give and grant unto me, the said Charles Barlow, my exors, admors, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Charles Barlow, my exors, admññors, and assigns, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom
called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all
Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, an Invention communicated to
me by a Foreigner residing abroad, namely, by William Van Andem, of the
State of New York, in the United States of America, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CHAIRS," during the term
of years therein expressed, and no others, without my licence or consent; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Charles
Barlow, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months from the date
thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said condition, I, the said
Charles Barlow, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly ascer-
tained and described hereby, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The nature of the Invention. consists in forming railroad chairs from plates
or flat bars of wrought iron by one operation of a machine to be herein-after
described, by which a piece of plate of the required shape is first cut off, and
afterwards pressed between two dies, one of which is stationary, and the other
attached to a vertical sliding head, by which the edges are beveled, and the
holes for the spikes are. punched. Two cutters secured to swinging arms
attached to another vertical sliding head, arc then caused to cut out and form
the lips, after which the chair is thrown out in a finished state, each revolution
of the driving shafts forming a chair; but in order that it may be better
understood, I will now refer to the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Figure 2 is a front elevation
of the same; Figure 3 is a vertical section taken from back to front through
the centre; Figure 4 is a vertical section of the working parts detached taken
through the centre of the dies in a plane parallel to the front; Figure 5 is a
side elevation of the working parts, the guides being removed, and part of the
frame to which the parts are attached being shewn in section; Figure 6 is a
plan or top view of the lower die, and the cutters which cut and bend the jaws
of the chair; Figure 7 is a detached view in perspective, representing the
upper die inverted and slightly opened; Figure 8 represents the end of one of
the shafts; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a chair. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several Figures.
I will now proceed to describe the construction and operation of the
machine. A, A, represent the frame of the machine, which consists of a bed
plate and two vertical posts united by an arch; it is of cast iron, and cast all
in one piece. B and C are horizontal shafts mounted in suitable bearings b, b,
and c, c, in the frame. They carry a pair of toothed wheels D, E, of equal
size gearing into each other. Shaft B is provided at its front end with an
eccentric stud d, and the shaft C is provided with a similar stud e. These
studs d and e are of equal size, and at equal distances from the centres of their
respective shafts. f is a stationary flat steel die, which is secured firmly by
screw bolts or other convenient means on a small shelf or table F standing
out from the front of the frame; it is of quadrangular form, having recesses
1, 1, in each side, and is provided with four small square punches 0, 0, 0, 0, which
protrude above its surface. g is a steel cutter secured in the table F in front
of the die f, having its cutting edge projecting above the face of the said die.
G is a cast-iron head fitted so as to slide freely in vertical guides H, H,

page_text: secured to the front of the frame; it is provided with a curved slot I, in
which the stud d on the end of the shaft B fits. J is an arm jointed by a
hinge h to the upper end of the head G in front of it; it is provided with a
projecting piece i on its inner side fitting accurately in a recess in front of the
head G. When the arm is closed, on the front or outside of the arm is a
boss provided with two pins or studs k, k, fitting in inclined slots or grooves in
cheeks 1, 1, projecting from the front of the frame A, A. m, n, represent the
upper die, which is formed of two pieces (for the reason to be hereafter
explained) of steel plate. The larger one m is attached by screw bolts or
other convenient means to the under side of the vertical sliding head G, and.
the smaller one n to the lower end of the arm J. The die m, n, is of the
same form as that f already described, and is provided with four square holes
v, v, v, v, in which the punches 0, 0, 0, 0, fit; it is also provided at its corners
with projections of nearly the thickness of the plate from which the chairs are
formed, for the purpose of preventing any lateral motion of the plate when
being operated upon between the dies. These projections have their rising
parts beveled, which gives a bevel edge to the plate. . The edges of the recessed
part of the die m project over the bottom of the head G. K is a cast-iron
head sliding in vertical guides L, L, attached to the front of the frame; it is
provided with a curved slot O, similar in form to that in the head G; its upper
end has two arms M, M. N, N, are arms jointed by hinges p, p, to the arms
M, M; they are fitted at their upper ends with flat steel plates 7, ", which
have projecting parts 8, s, fitting the recesses 1, 1, in the lower die, and
forming shears for cutting and bending the lips. The side edges of the pro-
jecting parts s, s, are sharp, and the front edges are beveled or inclined (see
Figure 3); their back edges are so beveled off nearly to a point. t is a curved
spring secured to the top of the head K, and having a tendency to throw
apart the arms N, N. v, v, are flat steel plates rounded at their back ends
to fit recesses in cheeks w, w, standing out from the frame. Their front edges
are beveled or inclined, corresponding to the bevels or inclines on the back
edges of the plates r, r. ✗ is the chair, which is shewn in section in red
lines in Figures 3 and 4, and in the act of leaving the machine in Figure 5.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Rotary motion, being commu-
nicated by a pinion to either of the toothed wheels D or E, will give motion
to the shafts B and C in opposite directions, as pointed out by the speed
arrows in Figure 2. The studs & and e, working in the slots I and O, give
a vertical motion up and down at regular intervals to the heads G and K.
The bar or plate of iron must be of the required width of the chair; and,
being previously heated, is fed by hand into the front of the machine, as shewn

page_text: in Figuro 3, the bar resting on the cutter g, and its end being pushed up to
the stop y. When the upper head G descends, the die m, n, is closed, and
the outer edge of the part n being in a line within the edge of the stationary
cutter g, performs the office of shears, and cuts a piece off the bar or plate of
the required length; and as the upper die m, n, closes on the stationary die f,
the punches 0, 0, 0, 0, pass through the plate, forcing the pieces cut out into
the bolster holes v, v, v, v, which deliver or clear through apertures 2, 2, two in
front and two at the back of the upper die. The dies remain closed for some
time, as the lower part of the slot I is concentric to the shaft B; the eccentric
then keeps down the upper die. During the time the dies are closed the
eccentric pin e, working in the slot O, raises the head K; the arms N, N, are
thrown apart by the spring t, so as to cause the inclined edges on the backs
of the plates r, r, to bear against the inner parts 2, 2, of the cheeks w, w, in
which position they are shewn in the front view, Figure 2, nearly having
reached the dies. As they continue to ascend, the sharp edges at the sides of
the projecting parts s, s, passing the edges of the recesses 1, 1, in the dies, form
shears, and cut two notches in each side of the plate. The part between the
notches marked 3, 3, in Figure 9, is intended to form the lips of the chair.
As the head K continues ascending, the back edges of the cutters r, r, passing
the part 2, 2, of the cheeks, fall back into the recesses under the plates v, v,
when the front edges of the cutters r, r, as they ascend, move towards the
other, and bend the part of the plate marked 3, 3, round the recessed part of
the upper die m, as shewn in Figure 4. The chair is now formed. It will
be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the Drawings, that the plates v, v,
are allowed a little play in the recesses in which they lie. This is for the
purpose of allowing the cutters to be thrown back suddenly after passing either
in the upward or downward motion, so as not to keep them longer than
necessary in contact with the heated iron.
It is now necessary to explain the action of the upper die, and why it is
formed in two parts as described. It will be seen, that owing to the form of
the die, when the lips of the chair are bent round the recessed part it would
be impossible to remove the chair if the die were in one piece.
As soon as
the lips are formed, and the back edges of the cutters 7, r, have passed the
plates v, v, the arms N, N, are thrown apart by the spring t. At this time
the stud d on the shaft B has arrived at such a part of the slot I as to cause
the head G to commence its ascent. As it does this it lifts the chair from the
punches; and as it rises higher the studs k, k, run up the inclined parts of the
slots or grooves j, j, in the cheeks 1, 1, causing the lower end of the arm J to
be thrown forward, opening the die. Two small steel fingers or clearers 4, 4,

page_text: attached to the inside of the arm, which have during the operation been lying
in recesses in the back part of the head G, are now brought forward with the
arm, and their ends or points draw the chair from the part m of the upper
die, as shewn at Figure 5. The chair then falls out. The bar may then be
again placed in the machine. The upper die, being closed in its descent, will
resume its operation.
I have described the dies and cutters as being made of steel plate, but they
may also be made of chilled cast iron, or the ends of the heads and levers
may be cast in the required form, and have their faces chilled. The frame
may have a similar arrangement of machinery at each end operated on by the
same shafts.
Having now described the Invention, I claim as new,—
Firstly, the upper die m, n, constructed in the manner described, and
parting or opening by means of a jointed arm or by other mechanical
contrivance for the purpose above set forth.
Secondly, the shears, consisting of the arms N, N, having their working
edges and faces r, s, of steel or chilled iron working in connection with the
operating die m, n, in such a manner as to cut and form the lips of the chair
at one operation.
Thirdly, the combination of dies, punches, shears, benders, and clearers
arranged and operated in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth,
or any other mechanical combination substantially the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Barlow, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty one