Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Forging Armour- plates and for similar purposes
Year: 1897

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
'Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Forging Armour-
plates and for similar purposes."
I, 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 to be as follows:-
My invention relates to forging presses and apparatus connected therewith for
use in the manufacture of heavy steel or iron ingots and plates for ship's armour
and for other purposes and the said invention chiefly consists in additions to and
modifications of the apparatus described in the specification of my former Letters
Patent No. 10143 A.D. 1895 and in the provisional specification filed with my
application No. 14672 A.D. 1896.
In such apparatus the plate or ingot is worked by squeezing it between the
upper and lower swage-blocks of a hydraulic press and provision is made for
supporting the plate or ingot on transverse rollers controlled by hydraulic or
other power in such a manner that after each squeeze or indentation of the metal
the plate or ingot will rise with the upper swage-block so that the shoulder
produced by the squeeze, on its lower side, can pass over the lower swage
block.
In the apparatus described in the said provisional specification the said trans-
verse rollers are carried at the ends of pivotted beams or levers. The forging
press is provided with small hydraulic or other cylinders the pistons of which
are connected by chains or rods to cross-bars which extend transversely across
the press, below the said beams between the pivots or fulcrums thereof and the
ends carrying the rollers. The pivots or fulcrums are in brackets at the sides of
the press. Horizontal hydraulic cylinders or other means are provided for push-
ing the plate along between the swage blocks after each squeeze or indentation.
According to my present invention I combine with the said apparatus improved
means for moving the plate endwise in the press, without the aid of an overhead
crane or other external apparatus. For this purpose I arrange hydraulic
cylinders along the bed of the press, one at each end thereof with their rams
extending outwardly or away from the swage blocks. I connect with the outer
end of each ram, by means of a crosshead, a pair of steel bars which extend along
the sides of the cylinders towards nets wages. Each pair of these bars, by means
of a block or carriage, is connected with a pusher-bar which is adjustable end-
wise in the said carriage, to adapt it to different sizes of armour plates or other objects
being forged, the said carriages being provided with pinching screws or other
devices for holding the pusher bar securely in any position to which it is adjusted.
Girders or slides at the sides of the press serve as longitudinal guides for the said
carriages which have lateral flanges that project into and slide in grooves along
the said girders.
According to my said invention I also combine with the other parts of the
apparatus herein described, horizontal hydraulic cylinders arranged to operate upon

page_text: the edges of armour plates or for similar purposes. These cylinders are supported in
strong brackets at the sides of the press, near the columns which support the
main cylinder, the said brackets being united at their upper parts by a strong
cross 'bar.
Moreover according to my present invention I provide for readily and con-
veniently changing either the upper or lower swage block or both. For this
purpose I arrange at one side of the press a horizontal hydraulic cylinder and at
the other side of the press I provide a recess. whose surface is level with that
on which rests the lower swage block in the press. In this recess I place the
swage blocks which are to replace those in the press. The upper and lower
swage blocks nearest the hydraulic cylinder are connected with the upper and
lower blocks of the other pair so that when it is desired to change either the
upper or the lower blocks the hydraulic ram will draw the swage block in the
press transversely away from the same while drawing the corresponding block
from the recess into the press. When it is desired to change both the upper and
the lower swage blocks at the same time the top block in use is lowered upon the
bottom block and drawn away with it while the other top block is drawn in with
the bottom block from the recess.
For forging an ingot into a hollow shaft or a ring or hoop for a gun tube or
barrel or other like object the ingot must have a hole through its centre for the
reception of the mandrel on which it is to be held in the press. Heretofore it
has been customary to form this central hole by boring, which is a very slow
and costly operation.
I therefore propose to adopt the following method, that is to say, I heat the
ingot and cut off the top end or surplus by means of two knives or cutters and then
either with or without reheating the ingot as may be necessary or desirable I
form the central hole by punching the ingot.
The ingot is supported in a suitable block between the rams of the side
cylinders and the knives are actuated by these rams. The punches are also
operated by the rams of these cylinders.
After punching the ingot and without reheating the same I in some instances
insert the mandrel through the hole therein and either by the side rams or under
the main ram I commence and sometimes complete the forging of the said ingot.
The aforesaid knives also serve for parting or dividing the ingots into any
required lengths before boring or otherwise working on them.
Dated this 21st day of January 1897
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.
15
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Forging Armour-
plates and for similar purposes."
I, MANASSAII GLEDHILL, Director of Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth, & Co.,
Limited, of Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, 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 forging presses and apparatus connected therewith for
use in the manufacture of heavy steel or iron ingots and plates for ship's armour
and for other purposes and the said invention chiefly consists in additions to and

page_text: modifications of the apparatus described in the specifications of my former Letters
Patent No. 10143 A.D. 1895 and No. 14672 A.D. 1896.
In such apparatus the plate or ingot is worked by squeezing it between the
upper and lower swage-blocks of a hydraulic press and provision is made for
supporting the plate or ingot on transverse rollers controlled by hydraulic or
other apparatus in such a manner that after each squeeze or indentation of the metal
the plate or ingot will rise with the upper swage block so that the shoulder
produced by the squeeze, on its lower side, can pass over the lower swage
block.
In the apparatus described in the specification of No. 10143 the bearings of the
transverse rollers are suspended directly from the piston rods of small hydraulic
cylinders. In the modified arrangment described in No. 14672 the said transverse
rollers are carried at the ends of pivoted beams or levers, arranged parallel to
the sides of the press and supported at a point between their fulcrums and the
rollers by transverse rods or bars which extend across the press below the said
beams or levers and are connected to the piston rods of the small cylinders.
According to my present invention I combine with the apparatus last above
described improved means for moving the plate endwise in the press, without
the aid of an overhead crane or other external apparatus. The said invention is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a plan partly in horizontal section of a forging press provided with
my improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections of parts of the apparatus.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 4 shewing the upper swage block resting
on the lower one.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the lower swage blocks connected together by
coupling pieces hereinafter more fully explained.
Figure 5 is an elevation of my improved apparatus for cutting the ingots.
Figure 6 is a plan or top view of the same.
Figure 7 is an elevation of my improved punching apparatus.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
The top and bottom swage blocks a a¹ are shewn in Figure 2 with a plate
being forged between them; b b are the transverse rollers; d d are the pivoted
beams or levers in the ends of which the said rollers are journalled; 9 g are the
blocks or brackets which support the fulcrums of the levers d; h h are the cross-
bars on which the said levers rest; ii are rods which connect the said cross bars
with the piston rods of the lifting cylinders.
For the purpose of my present invention I arrange hydraulic cylinders j along
and parallel to the sides of the bed of the press, one at each end thereof with their
rams extending outwardly as shewn in Figure 1. I connect with the outer
end of each ram, by means of a crosshead k, a pair of steel bars which extend
along the sides of the cylinders ; towards the swages. Each pair of these bars,
by means of a block or carriage m, is connected with a pusher bar n which is
adjustable endwise in the said carriage to adapt it to different sizes of armour
plates or other objects being forged, the said carriages being provided with pinch-
ing screws m¹ or other devices for holding the pusher bar securely in any position
to which it is adjusted relatively to the bar. Fenders or girders o at the sides of
the press serve as longitudinal guides for the said carriages which have lateral
flanges that project into and slide in grooves along the said girders.
In commencing the forging of a plate it is desirable to use swage blocks with
rather a narrow surface so that they will have a very effective squeezing action
and quick displacement of the metal but in finishing the plate I prefer to use
blocks with broader surfaces which act more smoothly upon the metal and one
part of my present invention relates to means for readily and conveniently chang-
ing either the upper or lower swage block, or both, according to the kind of work
to be done upon the plate. For this purpose I employ the arrangement illustrated

page_text: in Figures 4, and 4*, that is to say arrange at one side of the press a horizontal
hydraulic cylinder p and at the other side of the press I provide a recess q whose
surface is level with that on which rests the lower swage-block a¹ in the press.
This recess serves to receive one pair of the interchangeable swage-block's which
are to replace those in the press, as in Figure 4 which shews one pair of
"blocks a a¹ acting on a plate in the press and another pair a a¹ in the said recess.
The upper and lower swage-blocks thus shewn in the press and nearest the
hydraulic cylinder are connected with the upper and lower blocks of the other
pair by any convenient means so that when it is desired to replace either, the
upper or the lower block in the press for the corresponding block in the recess
the ram or piston rod p¹ of the hydraulic cylinder ? can be operated to draw the
swage block in the press transversely away from the same toward the cylinder
while drawing the corresponding block from the recess into the press. For this
purpose I may form the piston-rod with a flange p through which bolts are
screwed into the block to hold it while it is drawn from the press.
For connecting the block in the recess with the block in the press so that they
will both be moved together I prefer to use double headed coupling pieces p*
which enter recesses formed in the plates as shewn in Figure 4. When it is
desired to change both the upper and the lower swage blocks at the same time the
top block in the press is lowered upon the bottom block; the cotters are removed
to release the top block from the the ram of the press, the said block being then
drawn away with the bottom block while the top and bottom blocks in the recess
are drawn therefrom into the press. By reversing these operations the right hand
blocks can be pushed back into the press while the left hand blocks are returned
into the recess.
Moreover according to my said invention I combine with the other parts of the
apparatus herein described, horizontal hydraulic cylinders r arranged to operate
upon the edges of armour plates or for other purposes. The said cylinders are
supported in strong brackets s at the sides of the press near the columns which
support the main cylinder, the said brackets being united at their upper parts by
a cross bar s as shewn in Figures 1, 5 and 7.
For forging an ingot into a hollow shaft or into a ring or hoop for a gun-tube
or barrel or other like object the ingot must have a hole through its centre for the
reception of the mandrel on which it is to be held in the press. Heretofore it
has been customary to form this central hole by boring with cutting tools which is
a very slow and costly operation. I therefore propose to adopt the following
method of making the ingot hollow, that is to say, I heat the ingot and cut off the
top end or surplus by means of knives or cutters and then either with or without
reheating the ingot as may be necessary or desirable I form the central hole by
punching the ingot. For this purpose I use the hydraulic cylinders r. I con-
struct the rams of these cylinders to receive either the forging blocks the knives
or cutters or the punches u. The ingot is supported in a suitable block v between
the ramus of the said cylinders as shewn in Figures 5 6 and 7 the same being
actuated to force the cutters through the ingot. and the punches are operated by
the rams in the same manner.
After punching the ingot and in some instances without reheating the same I
insert the mandrel through the hole therein and either by the side rams or under
the main ram I commence and sometimes complete the forging of the said ingot.
The aforesaid knives also serve for parting or dividing the ignots into any
required lengths before boring or otherwise working on them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a forging press, the lifting apparatus comprising the transverse rollers
carried by pivoted beams or levers which are supported and controlled by hydraulic
or other apparatus and having in combination therewith the horizontal pusher-bars

page_text: and the means for operating the same substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a forging press the provision for the reception of the interchangeable
swage-blocks in combination with hydraulic apparatus for withdrawing and replac-
ing the said blocks substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a forging press such as that above specified, of the
hydraulic apparatus for forging the edges of armour-plates substantially as herein
set forth.
4. The adaptation of the said hydraulic apparatus to the purposes of cutting
ingots and making them hollow substantially as set forth.
5. A hydraulic forging press in which my above described improvements are
combined with the other portions thereof substantially as set forth with reference
to the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 21st day of October 1897
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.