provements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking Steel and other Metal Rails, Billets, Tyres, or other like Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Loft 10th Mar 1808 Acented 30th Ann
1808
TRUVIDIONAL DIECIFICATION
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking Steel and
other Metal Rails, Billets, Tyres, or other like Articles.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM WARD, of Fitzalen Chambers, Sheffield, in the County
of York, Iron Merchant, and HORATIO WILLIAM LASH, of Albion Works, Sheffield
aforesaid, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus by means of
which metal rails billets tyres and other similar articles can be broken with great
facility and rapidity. The apparatus comprises a bed plate provided with a strong
projecting abutment to resist the pressure to which the articles while being
broken are subjected. The abutment provided with steel surfaces or projections
preferably of tapered form or wedge shape against which the article to be broken
is caused to bear, the said surfaces or projections being preferably removably
fitted to the abutment to permit of their renewal when required. These steel
bearing surfaces or projections are arranged at suitable distances apart and at a
convenient distance in front thereof between the projections is arranged a
hydraulic ram the plunger of which carries a similar steel tapered projection
between which projection and the projections on the abutment the article or
portion of the article to be broken is placed so that when the ram plunger is forced
out of the cylinder the pressure of the steel projection thereon acting on the
portion of the article situated between the two projections on the abutinent readily
effects the breaking of the article at this part. The hydraulic ram may be secured
to the base plate by bolts passing through lugs formed on the cylinder of the ram,
or by any other suitable means and the rear end of the said cylinder may be
arranged to bear against a strong abutment standing up from the base plate to
resist the force exerted on the articles to be broken. For the purpose of this
invention only a very short stroke of the ram to effect the breaking of the articles,
and consequently only a short cylinder is required which will permit of tyres of
railway vehicles of the smallest diameter and similar shaped articles being placed
in the most advantageous position in the apparatus to be broken. Any suitable
arrangement of valves may be employed for regulating the supply of water to the
ram but a convenient arrangement for the purpose consists of two valves fitted
to seats in separate chambers in a valve box, and normally held to their seats
by a spring or springs bearing on spindles projecting to outside the valve box
through suitable stuffing boxes. The said valve may be forced from their seats
by means of a lever or the like caused to act on extensions of the valve spindle
which project through stuffing boxes on the opposite side of the valve box. The
chamber containing one of these valves is in communication with the high pressure
pump or water under pressure whilst the chamber containing the other valve
communicates with the ram cvlinder. By moving the lever in one direction the
valve in the chamber which is in communication with the pressure pump or water
under pressure is opened, whereupon water under pressure will pass by a passage

page_text: from the valve chamber into the other valve chamber and thence to the cylinder
of the ram behind the plunger which is thus forced out from the cylinder and effects
the breaking of the article placed in position in the apparatus. Upon reversing
the movement of the lever the valve in the chamber communicating with the
pressure pump or water pressure will be closed and the valve in the other chamber
be opened whereupon the water will be permitted to flow from the ram cylinder at
the back of the plunger and be conducted back to the pump whilst at the same time
water under pressure will pass by a pipe or passage from the chamber containing
the first mentioned valve to the ram cylinder to effect the return of the plunger
into the cylinder.
Means may be provided to prevent the ram from turning axially in the cylinder
and ensure the projection on the head of the plunger always being at the proper
position to act on the article. The base plate of the apparatus may be provided
with rollers to facilitate the moving of the article into position to be broken.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking Steel and
other Metal Rails, Billets, Tyres, or other like Articles.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM WARD, of Fitzalan Chambers, Sheffield, in the County
of York, Iron Merchant, and HORATIO WILLIAM LASH, of Albion Works, Sheffield
aforesaid, Draughtsman, 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:
The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus by means of
which metal rails billets tyres and other similar articles can be broken with great
facility and rapidity. The apparatus comprises a bed plate provided with a strong
projecting abutment to resist the pressure to which the articles while being
broken are subjected. The abutment is provided with steel surfaces or projections
preferably of tapered form or wedge shape against which the article to be broken
is caused to bear, the said surfaces or projections being preferably removably
fitted to the abutment to permit of their renewal when required. These steel
bearing surfaces or projections are arranged at suitable distances apart and at a
convenient distance in front thereof, between the projections, is arranged a
hydraulic ram the plunger of which carries a similar steel tapered projection,
between which projection and the projections on the abutment, the article or
portion of the article to be broken is placed, so that when the ram plunger is forced
out of the cylinder the pressure of the steel projection thereon, acting on the
portion of the article situated between the two projections on the abutment, readily
effects the breaking of the article at this part. Our invention will be clearly
understood by the following description with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings of which Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure 2 a plan partly in section and
Figure 3 an end view of apparatus constructed and arranged according to our
invention Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a convenient arrangement of valves
for governing the admission and exit of fluid to and from the hydraulic ram.
On a strong cast metal base A is or are formed a strong abutment or strong
abutments A2 provided with dovetail recesses a to receive blocks of steel B against
which the article to be broken is caused to bear. Secured to the base A is a

page_text: hydraulic ram C which may be secured to the base plate A by bolts passing
through lugs formed on the cylinder of the ram, or by a strap c¹, as shewn, or by
any other suitable means, the rear end of the said cylinder being arranged to bear
against a strong abutment A3 standing up from the base plate A to resist the force
exerted on the articles to be broken. The plunger C2 of the ram is provided with
a tapered or wedge shaped block 132 which operates on the articles to be broken at
a point about midway between the blocks 1 carried by the abutments A2 on the
base plate. For the purpose of this invention only a very short stroke of the ram
plunger C² to effect the breaking of the articles, and consequently only a short
cylinder, is required, which will permit of tyres of railway wheels of the smallest
diameter, and similar shaped articles to be broken, being placed in the most
advantageous position in the apparatus to be acted on by the block B on the
plunger C of the hydraulic ram. When the article to be broken is placed in
position between the block 132 on the plunger and the blocks B projecting from
the abutments A2, water under pressure is admitted to the cylinder of the hydraulic
ram so as to force the plunger outward until by the pressure of the block B2
against the article, the breaking of the said article is effected whereupon the water
is allowed to escape from behind the plunger C², which plunger is at the same time
forced inwards by water pressure admitted to the cylinder by the passage k and
acting on the annular surface c² on the said plunger. Another portion of the
article is then moved into position to be broken and the operations hereinbefore
described are repeated. I are anti-friction rollers to support and facilitate the
movement of the articles into position to be broken. In Figures 1 and 2 we have
shewn a railway wheel tyre b placed in position to be broken the said tyre encircling
the hydraulic ram and being in a horizontal position. Any suitable arrangement
of valves may be employed for regulating the supply of water to the ram but a
convenient arrangement for the purpose consists of two valves E and F Figure 4
fitted to seats in separate chambers G and H in a valve box I. The said valves
are normally held to their seats by a spring or springs K Figures 1 and 2 bearing
on spindles ef of the valves projecting to outside the valve box through suitable
stuffing-boxes g. The said valves may be forced from their seats by means of a
lever L Figure 1 pivotted at d beneath the valve box upon which lever on opposite
sides of the pivot d bear extensions e2f2 of the valve spindles ef which extensions
project through stuffing-boxes g² in the bottom of the valve box I. The chamber G
containing the valve E is in constant communication by the pipe or passage G³
with the high pressure pump or water under pressure, whilst the chamber H con-
taining the valve F communicates by the pipe M with the ram cylinder. By
moving the lever L in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 the valve E in the
chamber G is raised from its seat, whereupon water under pressure will pass the
said valve into a chamber G' thence by a passage h into the chamber H and there-
from by the pipe or passage M to the cylinder of the ram behind the plunger C²
which is thus forced out from the cylinder to effect the breaking of the article
placed in position in the apparatus, as herein before described. Upon reversing
the movement of the lever I the valve E in the chamber G will be closed by the
pressure of the spring K and the valve F in the other chamber is, by the further
movement of the lever, opened, whereupon the water will be permitted to flow
from the ran cylinder through the pipe M into the chamber H, past the valve F
into a chamber F and therefrom by a pipe or passage à back to the force pump or
reservoir from which the pump is supplied, whilst at the same time water under
pressure will pass by the pipe, or passage from the chamber E to the ram cylinder
to effect the return of the plunger into the cylinder.
Mean's may be provided to prevent the ram from turning axially in the cylinder
and ensure the projection B2 on the head of the plunger always being at the proper
position to act on the article.
Although we have described a suitable arrangement of valves for regulating the
supply of pressure to the hydraulic ram we do not restrict ourselves thereto as
various other arrangements may be provided for the purpose, neither do we restrict

page_text: ourselves to the precise construction of apparatus described and illustrated as
variation may be made therein without departing from our invention.'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim
is:-
-
1. In a machine or apparatus for breaking metal rails, billets, wheel tyres and
similar articles, the combination of fixed or stationary bearing surfares or projec-
tions arranged at a distance apart, to receive the pressure of the article while being
broken, a hydraulic ram arranged in front of and between the fixed or stationary
surfaces or projections; a tapered or wedge shaped projection on the plunger of
the hydraulic ram, and means for advancing the plunger towards the space between
the fixed or stationary surfaces or projections so that an article placed in position
across the space will be broken by the pressure thereon of the projection on the
plunger of the ram substantially. as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for breaking metal rails, billets, wheel tyres and similar articles,
the combination of fixed or stationary surfaces or projections, arranged at a distance
apart, to receive the pressure of the article while being broken, a hydraulic ram
arranged in front of and between the fixed or stationary surfaces or projections,
a valve box containing two chambers, one of the said chambers being in com-
munication with the source of pressure and also with the hydraulic cylinder
in front of the plunger the other chamber being in communication with the
cylinder of the hydraulic ram behind the plunger, a valve in each of
the said chambers, a spring or springs for normally retaining the valves
closed, a lever or equivalent means for operating the valves alternately so as to
cause the plunger of the ram to be moved alternately in opposite directions
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting apparatus for break-
ing metal rails, billets, tyres or similar articles by hydraulic power substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of March 1898
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.