IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING CAST-STEEL RAILWAY WHEELS AND OTHER CASTINGS IN METAL
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING CAST-STEEL
RAILWAY WHEELS AND OTHER CASTINGS IN METAL."-A communication from
abroad by John Blake Tarr, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, United
States of America.
Sealed the 12th February 1867, and dated the 27th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th November 1866.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING CAST-
STEEL RAILWAY WHEELS AND OTHER CASTINGS IN METAL," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements upon a Patent granted to me,
bearing date 7th April 1866, No. 1001, on behalf of the communicant of the
present improvements for his Invention of "An Improved Mode of and
Apparatus for Casting Railway Wheels and other Articles of Cast Steel."
In the Specification of the above-named Patent the process of casting wheels
was described to illustrate the nature of the Invention, which consisted in
giving pressure to the metal contained in the mould, and thereby consolidating
the metal. The mould was composed mainly of three parts, viz., the bed

page_text: which was a fixture, and which served to mould one side of the wheel, a ring
which served to mould the periphery, and a moveable plate to which a vertical
motion was given by means of lifting and lowering screws. The plate and
ring were capable of being connected together by hooks to allow of the ring
rising with the plate, and other books were provided for holding the ring down
to the bed when the plate was required to rise alone to free it from the
casting. A central conical core applied and removed by hand completed the
moulding surfaces.
The main object of the present Invention is to provide means for the
employment of hydrostatic pressure for compressing and condensing the metal
while in the mould in a liquid or semi-liquid state; this is effected in the
casting of railway wheels by applying bydraulic pressure for raising and
depressing the follower or upper section of the mould, and the like means is
used for raising and depressing the core which forms the eye through the
wheel.
Another object of the Invention is to provide for adjusting the mould and
adapting it for castings of different thickness, and also for regulating the
amount of steel required for a casting of a given thickness. The moveable
plate of the mould is connected to a piston working in a vertical cylinder by
means of three or more piston rods, which will serve to steady the plate and
ensure its giving an even or uniform pressure to the metal in the mould.
This moveable plate or follower is provided with gauge hooks or their
equivalents which serve as stops to arrest the descent of the plate, and thus
regulate the thickness of the casting as desired. The core for forming the
central hole or eye to receive the wheel axle is connected to a piston which
moves in a vertical cylinder, so that the core can be raised and depressed like
the moving plate or follower by hydrostatic pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred.
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might, make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain, and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED. MACHINERY FOR MAKING CAST-STEEL RAILWAY WHEELS
AND OTHER CASTINGS IN METAL," being a communication from abroad, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or, one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for making
castings of steel by the aid of mechanical pressure.
The Invention also relates to the releasing of the compressed castings from
the mould.
"
The main object of the present Invention is to provide means for the
employment of hydrostatic pressure for compressing and condensing steel
railway carriage wheels and other articles of useful form while in a mould in
a liquid or semi-liquid state.
The Invention also relates to means for raising and depressing the follower
or upper section of the mould, also to means for raising and depressing the
core which forms the eye through a railway wheel as will be herein-after
described.
Another object of the Invention is to provide for adjusting the mould and
adapting it for castings of different thickness, and also for regulating the
amount of steel required for a casting of a given thickness, as will be lierein-
after described.
Another object of the Invention is to provide for raising and depressing the

page_text: movable sections of a mould which is adapted for moulding steel in a per-
fectly parallel plane to the lower section of the mould, and at the same time
to avoid the liability of sagging of said movable sections in the operation
of compressing and condensing steel in a mould, as will be herein-after
described.
The machine to be presently described is constructed and adapted for making
railroad carriage wheels of cast steel, but it is not contemplated to confine the
Invention to the casting of wheels or parts of wheels, as other articles can be
produced by changing the form of the moulds without altering the principle of
the Invention.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine
which is adapted for making steel car wheels; Fig. 2 is a top view of such
machine; Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the machine, shewing the
metal in the mould previous to applying pressure thereto; Fig. 4 is a similar
view of the same parts showing the upper sections of the mould elevated from
the cast wheel; Fig. 5 is a front view of the machine shewing the upper
sections of the mould elevated; and Fig. 6 is a section taken in the horizontal
plane indicated by the red line x, x, in Fig. 5. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A represents the base plate of the machine which forms the lower section
of the mould within which the car wheel A' is cast; B represents a ring
which produces the circumference or tread of the wheel and a portion of the
flange thereof; this ring forms the vertical section of the mould, and it is
fitted within an annular recess which is formed in the upper face of the
C represents
horizontal section or bed plate A, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
the upper horizontal section of the mould which produces the contour of the
outer surface of the wheel, and forms in conjunction with the ring B and the
The
base plate A a chamber or mould within which the wheels A¹ are cast.
hole which is through the centre of the wheel is produced by means of a metal
core D, which is made slightly tapering so that it can be easily withdrawn
before removing the wheel from the mould; this core passes through the two
plates A and C, and fits snugly in holes which are made through them. A
tapering hole or ingate is made through the plate C, through which the melted
steel is poured into the mould; the upper end of this ingate is provided with
a perforated slide a, which is fitted between guides a¹, a', and used for closing
the ingate after pouring the metal into the mould, also for cutting off the
surplus metal. More than one ingate may be employed if desired, so that
the mould can be filled by pouring the metal into it at different points.
Directly beneath the ingate a recess is made in the upper face of the mould
5

page_text: plate A, and filled with plumbago or some other substance which will not be
readily injured by the heated metal, and beneath this plumbago c a set
screw d is employed for adjusting it as it wears or burns away so as to keep'
its upper surface flush with the surface of the mould. G, G, G, are three
strong pillars which are arranged at equal distances apart, and securely bolted
to the bed plate A at their lower ends and to a head piece E at their upper
ends so as to serve as supports for said head piece, and to hold it down firmly
against upward strain; these pillars may be bolted to off sets on the circum-
ference of plate A, so that there shall be sufficient space between the pillars
for the removal of the wheels from the mould. Upon this head plate E a
cylinder Hof suitable capacity is secured, within which moves a piston I ; to
this piston three rods J, J, J, are secured at regular intervals apart around its
centre, which rods pass down through stuffing boxes applied to the head
plate E, and are secured at their lower ends to the upper section C of the
mould, as shown in the Drawings. The plate C and piston I are parallel to
each other, and their axes or centres coincide; the piston rods J are applied
to said parts by means of screws, collars, and nuts, or in any other substantial
manner which will prevent the plate C from tilting or losing its parallelism
with respect to the lower section of the mould.
Openings are made at or near the upper and lower ends of the cylinder II,
to which pipes are suitably connected that communicate with a bydrostatic or
force pump. The opening beneath the piston I is for the purpose of admitting
liquid for raising this piston, and the opening above the piston admits liquid
for depressing it; by this means the piston I and plate C can be raised and
depressed by hydrostatic pressure.
Beneath the head plate E, and secured to it concentrically to the axis of the
cylinder H is a smaller cylinder K, within which works a piston L, to which
a rod L' is secured, the lower end of which latter is suitably secured to the
core D, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. This piston cylinder K also receives
liquid from a force pump at its upper and lower ends for the purpose of
raising and depressing the piston L and core D; the length of stroke of
the piston I should be such as to admit of raising the plate C to the proper
height for removing the casting.
Two or more adjustable hooks e, e, are screwed into the upper surface of the
plate C near its circumference, which when this plate C is brought down to
the position shown in Fig. 3 for pouring metal into the mould will rest upon
ledges or elevations upon the ring B, and prevent said plate from further
descent; by adjusting these hooked screws e, e, the plate C can be caused to
enter the ring B any required distance according to the thickness required of

page_text: the casting. Before pressure is applied to the metal in the mould the hooked
screws e, e, are turned to one side so as not to be arrested by the elevations f,ƒ,
on the ring B.
The hooked screws 9, 9, which are screwed into the upper face of the
ring B are used for allowing this ring to be lifted with the section C, as shown
in Figures 4 and 5 when it is desired to remove the casting from the mould.
The hooked screws h, h, which are screwed into the bed plate A serve for
holding down the ring B during the operation of pouring the metal into the
mould and compressing the same; these hooks also serve to hold the ring B
down in place when the upper plate C is raised so as to allow this plate to
become detached from the upper surface of the wheel or casting. The hooks
9, 9, are adjusted to allow this upward movement of plate C before the ring B
is raised, after which hooks h, h, are turned to one side and the ring and plate
are elevated together, leaving the wheel or casting upon the bed plate A.
Before commencing the operation of casting it is desirable to smoke the
mould or to cover the inside surfaces of the mould with soot to prevent
liability of the metal adhering to the mould. The sections of the mould are
adjusted in their proper positions for receiving the melted steel, as shown in
Fig. 3, and the central core D moved down to its place (if a car wheel is to
be cast) so as to leave an eye through such wheel; the liquid steel is then
poured into the mould through tne ngate, as above described, and the slide a
is immediately moved over the ingate so as to cut off the upper end of the
sprue," and to close the opening; the hooks e, c, are then turned to one
side so as to allow the plate C to be depressed by the application of hydrostatic
pressure to the piston I, thus compressing the metal while in the mould;
after pressure the core D is raised free from the casting, then by the appli-
cation of pressure beneath the piston I the plate C is raised a short distance ;
after which hooks h, h, are turned to one side to allow the ring B and plate C
to be elevated together. This pressure upon the metal in the mould will
expel the air and gaseous carbon from the steel through suitable apertures
which are made in the mould sections, and at the same time condense the
fibres of the steel, rendering it tougher and more dense than it would be if no
pressure was applied.
It is preferred to employ hydrostatic pressure for pressing the steel while
in the mould instead of other mechanical pressure, principally on account of
the immense power which can be thus obtained, together with the facility with
which the mould sections can be freed from the casting when it becomes "set,"
for it is very important to separate the mould sections quickly from the castings
to prevent them from cracking as they shrink in cooling.

page_text: Another advantage which arises from the use of hydrostatic pressure for
pressing cast steel is the preventing of the plate or follower C from tilting in
the act of forcing it down upon the melted metal in the mould. By employ-
ing three or more piston rods J arranged concentrically around the centre of
the plate C and at equal distances apart, as described, and attaching such rods
concentrically to the piston I, a uniform pressure will be applied to the
plate C, and the castings will be properly produced.
Another advantage attending the use of hydrostatic pressure in a machine
for making compressed steel castings is, that a vertical or rectilinear move-
ment of the parts can be obtained without the necessity of employing screws
and wheels, or levers, or other similar mechanical contrivances which are
liable to derangement and inaccuracy in their operation, and which do not
admit of the removal of the follower C from the casting with sufficient rapidity
to prevent liability of the castings cracking. By the employment of bydro-
static pressure, substantially as set forth, the follower C can be raised as rapidly
as desired, and when great power is required, as in pressing the steel, the
follower C can be moved as slow as desired; this movement of the follower
may be effected by means of a cock applied to the pipe leading from the force
pump to the cylinder H on the machine.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improved Machinery
for Making Cast-steel Railway Wheels and other Castings in Metal," as
communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim, the means above described for subjecting the
metal while in a plastic or a liquid state to the action of hydrostatic pressure,
and for withdrawing the moveable parts of the mould from the cast article
when set.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)