IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LEAD PRESSES FOR COATING WIRE AND CABLE WITH LEAD
Year: 1886

page_text: Cable with Lead.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, Patent Agents, of
52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of an invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LEAD PRESSES FOR
COATING WIRE AND CABLE WITH LEAD," which invention has been communicated
to me from abroad by John Robertson and James Hardie, both residing at
Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of
America, 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 my invention is to provide an hydraulic lead press for coating
wire and insulated cables with lead or other analogous material, and for similar
uses; and my invention consists in the combination of devices hereinafter
described.
In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of those parts of an hydraulic lead
press known as the lead-holding cylinder and its plunger and the upper end of the
water-ram, together with the chamber in which are the die and core-tube and
which contains my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the chamber containing my invention.
Figure 3. is a cross-section of the same giving a plan looking towards the side
adjacent to the lead-cylinder and showing the passages leading from said cylinder
to the chamber and also the peculiar "bridge" Ì employ intermediate said cylinder
and chamber.
Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the block in which the "coating-.
chamber" is formed, and showing some details of my invention.
°
A is the lead-holding cylinder, which is to contain the lead to be pressed through
a die around the wire to be coated. B is a plunger working in said cylinder. C is
the water-ram. The hydraulic cylinder is not shown, nor the cross-head to which
the plunger B in these presses is usually fixed, said cross-head being generally con-
nected to the hydraulic-cylinder by bolt-rods. These parts and their arrangement
and operation are so well known that it is not deemed necessary to show them.
D is a chamber which I call the "coating-chamber." This chamber is preferably
spherical and there is communication to it from the lead-cylinder through passages d
which will be presently described. This chamber is preferably located vertically
D'.61-

page_text: below the lead-cylinder and are ranged as shown intermediate the ram and said
cylinder. In constructing this chamber and its passages d it is best to form it in a
metal block which is distinct and separate from the lead-cylinder, as shown, and
which may then be secured to the lead-cylinder by bolts or in any well known
manner. This chamber D may be conveniently formed by first boring the block
from the underside upward to about the median line, the diameter of such bore
being substantially the desired diameter of the chamber; then by forming one half,
or the upper part, of the spherical wall of the chamber at the bottom of the recess
thus constituted, and then closing the bore with a plug d the inward end or face
of which is fashioned to form the other half or part of the spherical chamber.
The block in which the chamber D is formed is bored transversely to constitute
spate for the die E and core-tube E¹, respectively on diametrically opposite sides of
The die and core-tube fit into these seats and may be held therein
by a thread e cut on each, fitting to a thread e¹ cut on the interior wall of the seats
as shown. I find it desirable that the diameter of the chamber D shall be such
that when the die and core-tube are seated and properly adjusted to each other as
shown, only the "noses," or but a fractional part of said die and core-tube are
exposed in the chamber, the main portion of the entire length of said die and tube
lying in and being sustained by their said seats in the block. I find it preferable
to make the die and core-tube each in two parts e* and e³, as shown in Figure 4,
the parts e² of each constituting the opposed operative ends and resting in the
seats in the block, while the parts es project into these seats and abut against the
rearward ends of the parts e and extend beyond the wall of the block and have
each a screw-threaded seat in the block, as shown in Figures 1 and 3; a ring or
bande may be employed to encircle the block, and when used, the parts ea may be
screw-seated therein as shown in Figure 4.
Communication is had between the lead-cylinder and the chamber D by the
passages d. These passages are two or more in number, and I find it preferable
to employ four, as shown in the drawings.
These passages are cut through the wall or block between the cylinder and the
chamber so that their mouths in said chamber open upon either side of the opposed
die and core-tube, thus leaving that portion of the said wall or block immediately
over the line of the said die and tube intact as shown at G. This portion G thus
constitutes a "bridge" between the cylinder and the chamber D in line with the
opposed die and core-tube.
•
As the chamber D has, as has been stated, a diameter preferably less than that
of the lead-cylinder, the passages d are desirably arranged to converge somewhat
from their cylinder-mouths to their chamber-mouths.
In the operation of my apparatus the lead pressed into the chamber D from the
cylinder is prevented from descending and impinging directly upon the die and
core-tubes by the bridge G, the lead entering the chamber by the passages d'on
each side of said die and tube. When the chamber is filled with lead the pressure
of the lead from all sides towards the centre of the chamber will be substantially
equal, and thus the lead will be forced into the die and around the wire from the
core, with the same pressure at all points on the circumference of the wire, and the
coating thereby given the wire will be of uniform thickness throughout. The
liability of the core-tube and die to be fractured or clogged by an unequal pressure
op opposite sides is wholly avoided in my apparatus.
I prefer to form an annular shoulder on the upper face of the block as shown
at d³, of the same diameter, substantially, as, and adapted to fit snugly into the
bottom of the cylinder. When thus formed the block D¹ may be simply seated
between the cylinder and the water-ram and will need no other fastening than the
annular shoulder d² to hold it in place in this position. I find it advantageous to
have the chamber D in this separate block D¹ as the block may the more readily
be kept comparatively cool and the passage for wire through the coating chamber
may be short, the wire being concealed in the apparatus during the operation of
coating, for only a short distance or length at a time.

page_text: It is obvious that by means of the described parts arranged as set forth, the wire
to be coated may be passed through the die and core-tube at right angles to the
lead-cylinder which is very desirable in lead presses of this description.
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. In a lead press the combination with the lead-cylinder, of a coating-chamber,
in the walls of which are seated a diametrically opposed die and core-tube, together
with a passage, or passages, leading from said cylinder and opening into said
chamber on each side of said die and core-tube, and a bridge or partition inter-
mediate the cylinder and the chamber and in line above the opposed ends of the
die and core-tube, as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a lead press the combination with the lead-cylinder of a spherical coating-
chamber in the walls of which are seated, diametrically opposed to each other, the
die and core-tube, the bridge or partition between said cylinder and chamber
extending in line above the opposed ends of said die and core-tube, together with
passages leading from said cylinder to said chamber, and opening, one or more, into
said chamber, on each side of said die and core-tube, as and for the purpose
specified.
3. In a lead press the combination with the lead-cylinder of a spherical coating-
chamber in the walls of which and diametrically opposed are seated the die and
core-tube, with the bodies thereof resting wholly in said seats and the noses thereof,
only, projected into said chamber, together with a bridge intermediate the said
cylinder and chamber, in line above the opposed ends of the said die and core-tube,
and passages, one or more, leading from said cylinder into said chamber and
opening therein on each side of said die and core-tube, as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a lead press the combination with the lead cylinder of a distinct and
separate metal block intermediate the cylinder and the water-rain, in which is
formed the coating-chamber, together with a bridge intermediate said cylinder and
chamber and in line above the die and core-tube, which are seated, diametrically
opposed, in the walls of said chamber, and passages, one or more, leading from said.
cylinder and opening into said chamber on each side of said die and core-tube, as
and for the purpose specified.
5. The metal block D' in which is formed the chamber D and having diametri-
cally opposite recesses or bores in which are seated respectively the die E and
core-tube E, together with the bridge G and the channels d, leading from within
the circle of the shoulder d³, to, and opening, one or more, into said chamber, on
each side of said die and core-tube, whereby when said block is arranged inter-
mediate the lead-cylinder and water-ram of a lead press, as described, the chainber
therein will operate as a "coating-chamber," as specified.
6. In a lead press the metal block D¹ intermediate the lead-cylinder and water-
ram and in which the chamber D is formed, bridge G and channels d, as described,
together with the die E and core-tube E', each constituted of two parts e³ and 6³,
and the ring or collar e, all as specified.