IMPROVEMENTS in the Manufacture of Changed SHAFTS OR AXLES AND MACHINERY FOR THE SAME."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Clarke, of the Town and County of
Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS in the Manufacture of
Changed SHAFTS OR AXLES AND MACHINERY FOR THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Clarke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1872.
I, EDWARD CLARKE, of the Town and County of Lincoln, do hereby
3 declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED SHAFTS OR Axles and MACHINERY FOR THE SAME,” to
be as follows :-
My Invention relates to the manufacture of crank shafts or axles by
the application of pressure to the ends of the shaft or axle to force up
the sides of the crank throw to the desired form, the bar being at same
time subjected to pressure in another direction to bend it at the proper
places to form the crank.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I employ a treble hydraulic press of
the following construction:-A pair of hydraulic rams are placed
horizontally and connected adjustably, by framework to act in opposite.
directions on the ends of the shaft, a third press being situated between
these two, which may either be disposed horizontally or vertically..
This central press is intended first to bend the shaft at the proper places
to partially form the crank before pressure is applied to the ends, and
afterwards to aid the end pressure in forcing the crank up to its desired
form. For this purpose the central press is provided with a die, suitably
shaped to form the inside of the crank and with a block on the ram 1
head to press the bar into the said die. To this block are attached
movable swages placed at a suitable distance apart to bend the bar at
the proper places according to the extent of the crank throw, these
swages being pivoted so as to accommodate themselves to the varying
position of the part of the bar on which they act, and to admit of their 1
being readily removed and adjusted at the required distance apart. The
crank having been first partially bent into form by the swages the
pressure of the rams is applied to the ends of the shaft simultaneously.
with that of the swages to force the metal close down on to the dio.
The swages are then removed and the block on the central press to 2
which they were attached is brought down on the crown of the crank
to hold the same and press it down to the shape of the die, tho block
being also provided with a suitably formed die. The pressure of the
end rams is again applied whilst the crown of the crank is held by
the central press and suitable dies moving on slides and operated by 2
the end presses are applied on the outside of the crank web to bring
it to its proper position. The crank, which is then ready for finishing
in the lathe, is thus formed rapidly at one operation without the
necessity of reheating and loss of time entailed, when the steam hammer
and hand labor are employed as hitherto,
3

page_text: :
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Clarke, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Clarke, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward' Clarke, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CRANKED SHAFTS OR AXLES AND MACHINERY FOR THE
SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said 'Edward
Clarke, 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 Edward Clarke, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):―
My Invention relates to the manufacture of crank shafts or axles by
the application of longitudinal pressure to the shaft or axle to force
up the sides of the crank throw to the desired form, the bar being at
same time subjected to pressure in another direction to bend it at the
proper places, and assist in forcing it up to the die on which the crank is
formed.
.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a treble hydraulic press of
the following construction:-A pair of hydraulic rams are placed hori-
zontally and connected adjustably by framework to act in opposite
directions on the ends of the shaft, a third press being situated between

page_text: ram
these two which may either bo disposed horizontally or vertically. This
central press is intended first to bend the shaft at the proper places to
partially form the crank before pressure is applied to the ends, and
afterwards to aid the end pressure in forcing the crank up to its desired
form. For this purpose the central press is provided with a die suitably
shaped to form the inside of the crank, and with a block on the.
head to press the bar into the said die. To this block are attached
movable swages placod at a suitable distance apart to bend the bar at
the proper places according to the intended radius of the crank, these
swages being pivoted so as to accommodate themselves to the varying 1
position of the part of the bar on which they act, and to admit of their
being readily removed and adjusted at the required distance apart. The
crank having been first partially bent into form by the swages, the
pressure of the rams is applied to the ends of the shaft simultaneously
with that of the swages to forco the metal close down on to the die. The 1
swages are then removed and the block on the central press to which
they were attached is brought down on the crown of the crank to hold
the same and press it down to the shape of the die, the block being
also provided with a suitably formed die. The pressure of the end rams
is again applied whilst the crown of the crank is held by the central 2
press and suitable dies moving on slides, and operated by the end
presses aro applied on the outside of the crank web to bring it to its
proper position. The crank, which is then ready for finishing in the
lathe, is thus formed rapidly at one operation without the necessity of
reheating and loss of time entailed when the steam hammer and hand 2

page_text: A is the central press for bending the shaft and B, B, are the two
end presses placed opposite one another and framed together or other-
wise firmly secured; O is the die on which the crank is formed. It
has a projecting block to form the inside of the crank and is recessed
or hollowed out as shown according to the shape of the bar to be bent,
which may in some cases be round, or it may be squared or flattened at
that part which will form the crank web according to the kind of crank
to be made. The die C is firmly fixed in the bed plate A' of the central
press, and is formed with a strong rib O' on either side fitting into a
corresponding recess in the bed plate to hold the die firmly in place
against a strain from either of presses B; D is the block or head of the
central ram formed with a projecting shoulder on either side to which
are pivoted movable swages E, E, of the form shown separately in
Figure 5. The end of each swage is received in a groove in the shoulder
and secured therein by a strong pin or pivot F, passing through one of
a series of holes in the block to admit of the swages being set at any
required distance apart. The shoulders are so inclined and the swages
so hinged thereto that the latter are caused to press on the shaft in con-
verging directions, the swages being free to incline still more towards
one another as the sides of the crank are forced up to the die C; G,
shows the shaft or bar with the crank partly formed. The bar having
been first properly heated is placed on the block O, the swages E are
then brought down by the ram A to bend it slightly at the proper places,
and the rams B' of the presses B are then applied to press directly
against the ends. of the bar, whereby (aided by the combined pressure
of the swages) the bar is bent to the form shown in Figure 1 of the
Drawing. The swages are then removed and a suitable die placed on
the crown of the crank, and the block D or central ram head brought
down thereon to force the crown of the crank down on to the die O and
hold it firmly in position, whilst the pressure of the rams B is again
applied to the ends of the shaft to force up the sides of the crank still
closer to the dic.
Dies of suitable shape, such as that shown at H, Figure 6, may now be
applied to the outside of the crank web to form the corner of the crank.
Each die is carried on a sliding block I, Figure 7, supported in guides I'
fixed on either side of shaft G to ribs on the bed plate, these blocks
being removed from the guides when the swages E are in use. These
dies are operated by the end rams through the forcing rods K, Figure 8,

page_text: applied to the ends of the blocks I. Each die H is fitted in a dove-,
tailed recess in its block I and is made vertically adjustable therein by
means of a set screw L. In making cranks from a round bar the web
when flattened will be swelled out at the sides, and I may attach a cutter
to the ram head to trim the web to the proper shape. When the crank b
throws are wide apart I may bend one side only of the crank at a time,
and then heat the bar in another place and bend the other side, which
completes the crank. For this purpose I strap down the bar on the die C
and employ only one of the pivoted swages E on the central press,
together with the corresponding side ram applied to the end of the bar
to bend and force up the crank. In this way a single or end crank
may be made.
In making two or more cranks in a shaft as shown in Figure 10, after
making a crank as first above described the bar is allowed to get cold
and is then heated again at the required part, and the second crank bent 1
in a similar manner, a suitable chock having been placed in the crank
already made to prevent it being bent out of shape by, which means any
number of cranks can be bent on the shaft.
.I would observe that I do not limit myself to the use of hydraulic
presses, as it will be evident that pressure may be applied in the same 2
manner and with the same dics by any suitable arrangement of
machinery operated by steam or other power, but for large cranks the
treble hydraulic press of my Invention answers best.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my Inven- 2
tion to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
1st. Forming a crank in a shaft or axle by pressure applied longitu-
dinally, or to the two ends of the shaft at the same time that pressure
is also applied in another direction by the aid of dies and swages to 3
bend the crank and hold it in position, whilst the sides of the crank
throw are forced up by the end pressure as herein-before described.
2ndly. I claim the combination of three presses A, B, B, provided
with fixed and movable dies and swages, the whole constituting the
improved machine for bending cranks, constructed, arranged, and 3
operating, substantially as before described and shown in the Drawings.

page_text: 3rdly. The swages E, E, pivoted and made adjustable and operating
substantially on either side of the fixed die O, as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Clarke, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.