Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Upsetting or Spreading Metal Bars.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Upsetting or
Spreading Metal Bars.
I, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73, Cheapside, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UPSETTING OR SPREADING
METAL BARS " which invention has been communicated to me from abroad by
Charles J. Morse of Youngstown, Ohio,. in the United States of America, Engineer,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention is designed to afford a new and improved method for spreading or
enlarging the ends of eye-bars; and its object is to obviate certain disadvantages
which have been incident to the methods heretofore employed for this purpose, to
improve the quality of the finished bars, and to enable them to be spread with less
power than has heretofore been possible. Heretofore it has been common practico to
upset these bars in a machine wherein the bar is held between two fixed dies or
plates bearing on the flat sides of the bar, above and below, the upsetting being done
by a moving die or plunger which works between the top and bottom dies. It is
obvious that in this method the friction of metal in spreading out is very considerable,
the bars must be brought to a high heat, which is vory injurious to steel bars, and
great power must be employed to upset the bar, especially when it is thin and the
space between the top and bottom lic-plates correspondingly narrow. The parts of
the machine must therefore be made of inconvenient weight and strength to resist
the great strain which is thus put on them. Besides this, theso prior methods have
been positively injurious to the bars, because the upsetting of the metal by a force
exerted in a line with its length distorts the crystalline structure of the end of the bar
and impairs its strength.
As distinguished from methods of this kind my invention consists in a method
wherein the bar is spread by the combined action of an upsetting die or plunger,
which acts upon the end of the bar, and a roll or rolls which act upon the
surface of the bar in a direction transverse to the line of action of the plunger. The
spreading of the head is thus effected by a cross-rolling action, while the function
of the plunger is to thicken up the metal and to food it to the rolls. The power
necessary to be employed in this upsetting operation is comparatively small, tho bar
need not be heated to an excessively high temperature, and tho effect of the rolling
15 not at all to impair the quality of the metal. as in cases where the upsetting is done
solely by the direct action of a plunger.
In the drawings hereunto annexed Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine which is
adapted for the practice of my improved method of upsetting eye-bars, the top plate
being indicated in outline by dotted lines for the purpose of making the parts below
clearly visible. Fig. 2 is a front view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on
the line A, B, C, D of Fig. 1. E represents the bed of the machine and F represents
a top plate, which is secured to the bed by suitable bolts and nuts 9.
Between the top plate F and the bed E is a system of rolls H and I, which are
arranged with their axes parallel to each other, and are provided at their ends with
gudgeons, which fit in sockets in vertical end-plates or carriers J. I show two series
of these rolls. They are held together in the manner of a carriage by the end
plates J, and are adapted to travel transversely in the space between the bed on
which the bottom rolls H rest, and the top plate which rests upon the top rolls I. The
exact arrangement of these rolls does not form an essential foature of my invention.
They may be varied in many ways, and any number of rolls, greater or less, may be
employed. As a convenient and effective way of operating them I employ a plate K
which fits between the two series of rolls, as shown in Fig. 3, and at the side of the

page_text: machine is connected by a link to a lever m, which is oscillated by any suitable
power mechanism, and which causes the plate K to reciprocate horizontally between
and in contact with the two series of rolls. Beneath the lower series of roils H, the
bed of the machine is cut out or recessed to afford a space, in which the bar rests
when it is under treatment, the space being enlarged at the middle of the bed, and
shaped as shown by dotted lines to afford a die cavity b, for the formation of the
neck of the eye-bar head, and having an enlarged space in front of this die-cavity
and in the same horizontal plane therowith, within which cavity the moving die acts.
-The moving die-N, consists of-a-plate-of-steel-arranged-to-movo-within the recess of
the bed-plate against the end of the bar which is to bo spread, and at its end it is
provided with a recess c, which is the counterpart of the die cavity B, and is of
proper shape to form the head of the desired outline. The die N is actuated by a
screw or by a screw O or by a suitable hydraulic plunger and is preferably guided
and steadied in its motion by a tongue P, which extends from end to end of the
machine in a groove which is adapted to permit its free longitudinal motion. The
die and its tongue are hold in place by bridge-pieces Q and R which are bolted to
the machine-bed.
The cross-pieces R are suitably recessed to permit the insertion of the metal bar
into the machine.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
The metal bar, having been heated to the proper hoat for upsetting, is inserted
into the recess of the bed-plate beneath the lower rolls H, with its end in the
enlargement of the recess at the middle of the machine and in contact with the
formative end of the moving die N, and is held in that position by any suitable devico
used for such purposes. The moving die is now advanced by action of the screw or
plunger O, and the plate K is at the same time caused to reciprocate. The action of
the plunger on the hot bar tends to thicken up and slightly to spread its end, and the
rolls H simultaneously travelling back and forth over the hot bar and pressing thereon,
spread out laterally the metal which is thickened up by the plunger. This lateral
spreading of the metal by the cross action of the rolls is continued as the plunger
advances until it reaches the end of the enlarged cavity, and in conjunction
with the recess & completes the formation of the head. When the head has been
completely formed, the bridge-pieces R are raised and the eye-bar removed from the
machinė.
The advantages of this unproved method will be appreciated by those skilled
in the art.
The mechanical power used in its practice is comparatively small, it affords means
whereby the bars can be upset quickly and with little cost, and from the nature of
the treatment to which the bar is subjected by the rolls the metal is not injuriously
affected by the formation of the head.
As I have already indicated, my invention is not dependent upon any specific
construction of the machine, which may be greatly varied by the skilled mechanic in
form, proportions, and arrangement of the parts. This is so particularly with regard
to the arrangement of the rolls.
For example, instead of arranging them to act upon one side only of the bar, they
may be arranged on both sides thereof, and many other modifications will suggest
themselves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :
1. An improvement in the method of spreading metal bars which consists in
subjecting a bar to a combined upsetting and cross rolling substantially as and for the
purposos describod.
2. Spreading metal bars by compressing or upsetting the end or edge of the bar
botween dies which determine the shape of the finished head and at the same time
cross rolling the bar substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: 3. Constructing apparatus for spreading or upsetting metal bars by the combined
action of dies which determine the shape of the finished head, and rollers by
which a cross rolling action is obtained substantially as and for the purpose
described.
4. In a machine for spreading or upsetting metal bars the combination of dies with
cross-rolling apparatus for the purpose and acting substantially as described and
set forth.
D
NEWNHAM BROWNE.