Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Armour Plates or other Forgings.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Armour
Plates or other Forgings.
I, MANASSAR GLEDHILL, Director of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co. Limited, of
Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, England, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved means for supporting an armour plate or
similar heavy object during the forging of the same in a hydraulic press.
In forging a large and heavy object, such as an armour plate, by a press, the
metal is worked by squeezing it between the upper and lower swage-blocks and at
each squeeze or stroke of the press the swage-blocks displace, and sink into, the metal
thereby diminishing the thickness thereof and forming a shoulder between the portion
of the plate that has been squeezed or pressed and the portion which is next to be
acted upon. The plate has to move along between the swage-blocks after each
squeeze to bring a fresh portion of metal between the blocks; therefore it is necessary
that when the upper swage-block rises after each squeeze the plate should also rise
so that the shoulder on the lower side thereof can pass over the lower swage
block into the position to receive the next squeeze.
For this purpose I combine with the forging press four hydraulic or other cylinders
arranged in pairs preferably at or near the top of the press, although they may be
arranged at or near the bottom thereof and in some cases only two cylinders need be
employed, one on each side of the press. The pistons of these cylinders are connected
with the bearings of rollers which extend across the press in the proper position to
support thereon the plate being forged. Each pair of cylinders, when four are
employed, supports the bearings of one roller which can be raised or lowered by
the pistons of said cylinders as required. The roller bearings are connected to the
piston rods by cbains or other suitable means; the bearing-blocks are preferably
made square or with flat sides and fitted within vertical guide ways which prevent
their being displaced by the movements of the plate during the forging.
At one end of the press there is arranged a pusher which may be connected with a
hydraulic cylinder or other means for operating it to push the plate along over the
rollers.
The hydraulic or other cylinders which support the rollers are provided with valves
which are operated automatically by apparatus governed by the forging press in such
a manner that each time the plate is squeezed and the metal thereof reduced in
thickness, as aforesaid, by the action of the ram the rollers will be automatically
depressed or lowered so that they do not prevent the action of the lower swage-block
upon the plate, but, as the ram rises and the plate is relieved of the pressure, the
pistons of the said cylinders act to lift the rollers and raise the plate clear of the
lower swage-block so that the pusher can move the said plate freely over the said
rollers into the position for another squeeze.
My invention allows armour or other heavy plates to be forged with their sides
either parallel or taper the press being adapted to either kind of work as required by
raising or lowering one of the rollers relatively to the other. Moreover the said

page_text: invention obviates the necessity for the use of cranes or the like to control the armour
plate or other forging whilst being operated upon in the press.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Armour
Plates or other Forgings.
armour plate or
J, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, Director of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co. Limited, of
Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, England, 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 :-
My invention relates to improved means for supporting an
similar heavy object during the forging of the same in a hydraulic press.
In forging a large and heavy object, such as an armour plate, by a press, the
metal is worked by squeezing it between the upper and lower swage-blocks and
at each squeeze or stroke of the press the swage-blocks displace, and sink into,
the metal thereby diminishing its thickness and forming a shoulder between the
portion of the plate that has been squeezed or pressed and the portion that is
next to be acted upon. The plate has to move along between the swage-blocks
after each squeeze to bring a fresh portion of metal between the blocks; therefore
it is necessary that when the upper swage-block rises after each squeeze the plate
should also rise so that the shoulder on the lower side thereof can pass over the
lower swage-block into the position to receive the next squeeze.
For this purpose I combine with the forging press four hydraulic or other
cylinders arranged in pairs preferably at or near the top of the press, although
they may be arranged at or near the bottom thereof and in some cases only two
cylinders need be employed, one on each side of the press. The pistons of these
cylinders are connected with the bearings of rollers which extend across the press
in the proper position to support thereon the plate being forged. Each pair of
cylinders, when four are employed, supports the bearings of one roller which can
be raised or lowered by the pistons of said cylinders as required. The bearings
of the said rollers are connected to the piston rods by chains or other suitable
means; the bearing blocks are preferably made square or with flat sides and are
fitted within vertical guide-ways which prevent their being displaced by the
movements of the plate during the forging.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention applied to a hydraulic
press for forging armour plates.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of the press.
Like letters indicate the same parts in both figures.
A is the foundation; B, B are columns which support the main cylinder C and
other parts of the press; C₁ is the ram of the cylinder; 2 is the head of the ram ;
D is the lower swage-block; E is the upper swage-block attached to the head C³.
F, F are the rollers for supporting the plate; F1, F¹ are the bearings of said rollers
and F2, F2 the guide ways for the said bearings. G, G are the small cylinders
(preferably hydraulic) at the top of the press; G₁, G₁ are the piston rods of said
cylinders. H, H, are the chains whereby the roller bearings F¹, F" are suspended
from the piston rods G¹, G'. a is an armour plate shewn partly reduced in thickness
by the action of the press.
At one end of the press there is arranged a pusher I which may be connected

page_text: with a hydraulic cylinder or other means for operating it to push the plate a along
over the rollers.
The hydraulic or other cylinders G which support the rollers are in communica-
tion with the accumulator that supplies the water under pressure for working the
press. They are sufficiently powerful to lift the plate a and to support it clear of
the lower swage-block when the said plate is not being operated upon by the press,
but when the upper swage-block descends to squeeze the plate the rollers F will
be automatically depressed or lowered so that they do not prevent the action of
the lower swage-block D upon the plate a. When the upper swage-block rises again
and the plate is relieved of the pressure, the pistons of the said cylinders G act to
lift the rollers and raise the plate a clear of the lower swage-block D so that the
pusher can move the said plate freely over the said rollers into the position for
another squeeze. In some instances the cylinders G are provided with valves
automatically operated by apparatus governed by the main forging press in such a
manner that the rollers F will be lowered when the ram C₁ descends and raised
again when the ram C¹ ascends.
My invention allows armour or other heavy plates to be forged with their sides
either parallel or taper, the press being adapted to either kind of work as required
by raising or lowering one of the rollers relatively to the other. Moreover the
said invention obviates the necessity for the use of cranes or the like to control
the armour plate or other forging whilst being operated upon in the press.
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 combination, with a forging press, of rollers carried in bearings which
are suspended from the piston rods or rams of hydraulic or other cylinders with a
capability of vertical adjustment during the operation of the press as, and for the
purpose, specified.
2. In the said forging press the small cylinders arranged in communication with
the accumulator or having valves which during the forging of the plate are
automatically operated by the press in such a manner that the pistons of the said
cylinders will move to alternately depress and raise the plate as, and for the purpose,
specified.
3. A forging press with rollers whose bearings are suspended from the pistons
of cylinders in vertical guide ways which rollers extend across the press and are
arranged in combination with the swaging-blocks and the pusher substantially as
described, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 24th day of February 1896.
Dated this 24th day of February 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.