IMPROVE- MENTS IN TOGGLE-PRESSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co
""
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings London for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TOGGLE-PRESSES communicated to me from abroad by Edward
B. Meatyard, of Lake Geneva Wisconsin, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said .Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th December 1883.
"
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOGGLE-PRESSES [A com-
munication to me from abroad by Edward B. Meatyard, of Lake Geneva Wisconsin,
United States of America]
This invention relates to presses chiefly designed for pressing metal ingots.
The object of the said invention is to provide a powerful press, the operation of
which will drive out all the air, gas and liquid cinders and make the ingots dense
and pure; and also to provide for the employment of two or more presses arranged
in line, one half on each side of the toggle-operating mechanism by which the
presses are worked.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a suitable frame which
when two presses are used carries one at each end. The bed pieces and the head
pieces are fitted to the upper and lower beams of the frame and the whole secured
together by strong vertical rods provided with nuts, by means of which the proper
deflection is brought upon the beams for a safe load; these rods being enclosed..by
cylinders between the bed and head pieces for the purpose of properly distancing
them.
Two of the upper beams run across from end to end, being arranged near the
outside of the frame, and 'two corresponding lower beams also extend across from
end to end of the machine. A central upright frame is arranged between the two
end presses, consisting of upright channel beams running from the upper to the
lower side beams and arranged a slight distance apart. In this space between
the channel beams on-each side are arranged upper and lower blocks provided with
flanges so as to be guided by the flanges of the upright channel beams between
which they move. The actuating toggle arms are pivotted at their outer ends
כנים

page_text: respectively to these blocks, and are bifurcated at their inner ends so as to obtain
a wide bearing at the knuckle nuts to which their inner ends are respectively
pivotted.
The knuckle nuts are arranged on an ordinary right and left hand screw, and a
worm wheel is centrally connected to this screw shaft between the said knuckle
nuts. A worm shaft is held at its inner end to the worm gear by a strap, and at
its outer end is mounted in a movable journal and connected by a link rod to the
worm shaft. On the outer end of the shaft is a pulley by means of which the
necessary motion is given to the shaft to turn the screw in either direction as may
be desired. Each press is provided with a press toggle composed of a toggle block
and upper and lower toggle arms pivotted respectively to the head piece of the
press and the followers. These toggle arms are arranged in pairs, one pair above
the block and one pair below, and are preferably in the same vertical plane running
length wise of the press. The toggle blocks are connected by guide toggle arms to
the guide blocks to which the actuating toggles are also connected; these latter
being all pivotted together at their outer ends by the same pins, while the guide
toggles are pivotted at their inner or lower ends to their respective press toggle
blocks.
The followers are connected together by beams, which are arranged one on each
side of the presses outside of the vertical guide bars to hold the followers at a
proper distance apart. Upright guide bars are attached to the inside of the beams,
being fitted alongside the upright beams and connected together at their upper and
lower ends by cross bars. Truss bars extend from the guide bars to the beams,
and are arranged one above and one below the beam. The followers are kept in a
level position one way, by reason of the press toggles being arranged in pairs
always parallel, and the other way by the width of the press toggles. From the
above description it is obvious that the said followers will be held apart by the
strong truss beams described, which are provided with long guides which keep
the beans level in their vertical movement.
The improved press may be applied to the casting of steel tires for car or other
wheels but I do not limit the invention to this particular purpose.
It is well known that it requires no more power to compress a nest of moulds
than it does to compress one. If these moulds are for the casting of steel tires as
mentioned above, in the rim of each mould on each side of the inlet, short dove-tail
grooves or notches extend down a short distance. For the purpose of pouring, I
provide what may be called a main or general gate which is provided with dove-
tail projections on one side adapted to fit the dove-tail grooves in the moulds,
whereby it is attached to the said moulds. This gate is provided with branch
gates which constitute the inlets to the respective moulds, and the mode of attaching
it to the moulds prevents it from interfering with the pressing home of several
moulds when the press is put in operation. The joints between the several moulds
are stopped by a cord of asbestos, or mineral wool, as it is sometimes called, or
some other analogous material, which may be held in place by mucilaginous paste
or coal tar to prevent the sand backing from entering the mould. The inlets can
be readily closed by a plunger dropped into the main gate so as to force its contents
into the moulds just before the power is applied. The vent should be at the
highest point of casting to allow any light impurity free egress. Obviously each
lower mould as it is filled heats the one above, and so the metal is kept at a high
temperature and is in this condition when the press is put in operation. The
moulds are connected together and to their respective followers by links.
Now as soon as the moulds are filled, if the crank-shaft be set in motion in the
proper direction, obviously a greater pressure will speedily be brought upon the
moulds. It will be seen that through the operation of the screw and the knuckle
nut, the press toggles will be straightened by the great force applied to them
through the operation of the two sets of toggle arms described above, and the
metal being at a high temperature when the final pressure is applied the air, gas,
cinders and the like will be expelled and a pure dense casting produced.

page_text: As stated above, I have described the press applied to nests of moulds, this
latter being of special form. It is obvious, however, that the press is applicable to
moulds of any form and to single moulds as well as nests of moulds.
It is obvious that metallic moulds must be thick and well lined with suitable
paste to keep the heat in the operated metal until the press closes and crushes out
the friable packing from the joints and gives vent to the air, gas and cinders. A
thin flanged ring of metal may be used in the joints to hold the sand or other:
friable packing from entering the moulds until the hot metal rises to melt it out
and give it vent at once
With this improved press metal can be worked at a much higher temperature
than by hammer or rolls, which have been employed for the purpose expressed
above. Hydraulic presses have also been used in casting, for the purpose of pressing
hot metal and securing the results named. The improved press is also adapted to
secure better results than the hydraulic press, and in a hydraulic press the power
must be increased as the resistance increases.
The usual manner of storing power for these presses is by pumping water into
an accumulator against multiplied atmospheric resistance of any number of,
atmospheres. Now it is apparent that as the water passes out of the accumulator
to operate the press, the atmospheric pressure in the accumulator diminishes. In
this improved press the effect of the power is steadily augmented as the metal
under treatment becomes harder, and consequently the resistance greater by means
of the system of grooves and lever above described, by the final effort when the
press toggles are straightened, if the operation is carried so far.
The value of this method of pressing steel while it is hot enough to part with
such foreign elements as are of less specific density than the steel is well
understood, and therefore I think the advantages of this press mentioned above
will also be well understood.
One stand of presses may be arranged on each side of the operating mechanism,
or additional stands may be fitted up on each side, provided, however, that the
presses employed must always be of even number arranged equally on each side of
the operating mechanism. It will only be necessary to duplicate the bed pieces-
and head pieces and press toggles connecting the latter, to accomplish the result
named above.
I may use instead of the screw gear for operating the toggles, a hydraulic press
or some other suitable mechanism for the purpose of drawing the actuating toggles
together in operating the press, and in fact the actuating toggles themselves may
be dispensed with and some suitable mechanism substituted for the purpose of
operating the guide-toggles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Henry Harris Lake in the
Patent Office on the 4th July 1884.
A com-
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOGGLE-PRESSES."
munication to me from abroad by Edward B, Meatyard, of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin,
United States of America
This invention relates to presses chiefly designed for pressing metal ingots.
The object of the said invention is to provide a powerful press, the operation
of which will drive out all the air, gas, and liquid cinders, and make the ingots
dense and pure; and also to provide for the employment of two or more presses
arranged in line, one half on each side of the toggle-operating mechanism by
which the presses are worked
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation (partly in section) of a press constructed according
to this invention
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same
Figure 3 is a plan on the line x, x Figure 1
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line y, y, Figure 1
Figure 5 is a plan of a detail drawn to an enlarged scale and
Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line ww Figure 5
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
A indicates the press frame which in this instance is intended for a pair of
presses, one at each end. The bed pieces A' and the head pieces A2 are fitted to
the upper and lower beams of the frame, and the whole secured together by strong
vertical rods a provided with nuts by means of which the proper deflection is
brought upon the beams for a safe load; these rods being enclosed by cylinders a¹
between the bed and head pieces for the purpose of properly distancing them.
Two of the upper beams a run across from end to end being arranged near the
outside of the frame, and two corresponding lower beams a³ also extend across
from end to end of the machine. A central upright frame B is arranged between
the two end presses, consisting of upright channel beams 6 running froin the upper
to the lower side beams and arranged a slight distance apart. In this space between
the channel beams on each side are arranged upper and lower blocks C provided
with flanges c so as to be guided by the flanges of the upright channel beams
between which they move. The actuating toggle arms D are pivotted at their
outer ends respectively to these blocks and are bifurcated at their inner ends so as
to obtain a wide bearing at the knuckle nuts E to which their inner ends are
respectively pivotted
The knuckle nuts E are arranged on an ordinary right and left hand screw F,
and a worm wheel G is centrally connected to this screw shaft between the
knuckle nuts. A worm shaft H is held at its inner end to the worm gear wheel
by a strap g and at its outer end is mounted in a movable journal h and connected
by a link rod h¹ to the worm shaft, as shown in Figure 4. On the outer end of
the shaft is a pulley H¹ by means of which the necessary motion is given to the
shaft to turn the screw in either direction as may be desired.
Each press is
provided with a press toggle I composed of a toggle block i and upper and lower
toggle arms pivotted respectively to the head piece of the press and the
followers K. These toggle arms are arranged in pairs, one pair above the block
and one pair below, as shown and are preferably in the same vertical plane running

page_text: lengthwise of the press. The toggle blocks i are connected by guide toggle arms J.
to the guide blocks, to which the actuating toggles are also connected; these latter.
being all pivotted together at thoir outer ends by the same pins, while the guide
toggles are pivotted at their inner or lower ends to their respective press toggle
blocks.
The followers K are connected together by beams L, which are arranged one on
each side of the presses outside of the vertical guide bars to hold the followers at a
proper distance apart. Upright guide bars are attached to the inside of the
beams being fitted alongside the upright beams b and connected together at their
upper and lower ends by cross bars . Truss bars 1 extend from the guide bars
to the beams L, and are arranged one above and one below the beam. The
followers are kept in a level position one way by reason of the press toggles being
arranged in pairs always parallel, and the other way by the width of the press
toggles. From the above description it is obvious that the said followers will be
held apart by the strong truss beams described; which are provided with long guides
which keep the beams level in their vertical movement.
In the drawing I have shown my improved press applied to the casting of steel
tires for car or other wheels, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting my
invention to this particular purpose.
:
It is well known that it requires no more power to compress a nest of moulds
than it does to compress one. I have shown a series of moulds M arranged in each
press in nests, these moulds being for the casting of steel tires as mentioned above..
In the rim of each mould on each side of the inlet, short dove-tail grooves or
notches m are connected extending down a short distance. For the purpose of
pouring, I provide what may be called a main or general gate N, which is provided
with dove-tail projections n on one side adapted to fit the dove-tail grooves in the
moulds, whereby it is attached to the moulds, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. This
gate is provided with branch gates n' which constitute the inlet to the respective:
moulds, and the mode of attaching it to the moulds prevents it from interfering
with the pressing home of several moulds when the press is put in operation. The
joints between the several moulds are stopped by a cord of asbestos, or mineral
wool, as it is sometimes called, or some other analogous material, which may be
held in place by mucilaginous paste or coal tar to prevent the sand backing from
entering the mould. The inlets can be readily closed by a plunger dropped into
the main gate N so as to force its contents into the moulds just before the power
is applied. The vent should be at the highest point of casting to allow any light
impurity free egress. Obviously each lower mould as it is filled heats the one
above, and so the metal is kept at a high temperature and is in this condition when
the press is put in operation. The moulds are connected together and to their
respective followers by links O, as shown in Figure 1.
As soon as the moulds are filled, if the worm shaft be set in motion in the proper
direction, obviously a greater pressure will speedily be brought upon the moulds.
It will be seen that through the operation of the screw and the knuckle nut, the
press toggles will be straightened by the great force applied, to them through the
operation of the two sets of toggle arms described above, and the metal being at a
high temperature when the final pressure is applied the air, gas, cinders and the like
will be expelled and a pure dense casting produced.
As stated above, I have described the press applied to nests of moulds, these latter
being of special form. It is obvious, however, that the press is applicable to moulds
of any form and to single moulds as well as nests of moulds.
I do not wish to be understood as limiting this invention to any particular form
of moulds or to the arrangement of moulds as nests, as the improved press may be
applied to moulds of any form, either singly or in nests.
It is obvious that metallic moulds must be thick and well lined with suitable
paste to keep the heat in the metal being operated upon until the press closes and
erushes out the friable packing from the joints and gives vent to the air, gas and
cinders. A thin flanged ring of metal may be used in the joints to hold the sand

page_text: or other friable packing from entering the moulds until the hot metal rises to melt
it out and give it vent at once
With this improved press metal can be worked at a much higher temperature
than by hammer or rolls, which have been employed for the purpose expressed
above. Hydraulic presses have also been used in casting, for the purpose of
pressing hot metal and securing the results named. The improved press is also
adapted to secure better results than the hydraulic press, and in a hydraulic press
the power must be increased as the resistance increases.
The usual manner of storing power for these presses is by pumping water into an
accumulator against multiplied atmospheric resistance of any number of atmo-
spheres. Now it is apparent that as the water passes out of the accumulator to
operate the press, the atmospheric pressure in the accumulator diminishes. In this
improved press the effect of the power is steadily augmented as the metal under
treatment becomes harder, and consequently the resistance greater, by means of the
system of grooves and lever above described, by the final effort when the press
toggles are straightened, if the operation is carried so far
The value of this method of pressing steel while it is hot enough to part with
such foreign elements as are of less specific density than the steel is well understood,
and therefore I think the advantages of this press, mentioned above, will also be
well understood in the application of the said press to this purpose.
I have shown and described one stand of presses arranged on each side of the
operating mechanism. It is obvious, however, that additional stands may be fitted
up on each side, provided, however, that the presses employed must always be of
even number arranged equally on each side of the operating mechanism. It will
only be necessary to duplicate the bed pieces and head pieces and press toggles
connecting the latter, to accomplish the result named above.
I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the devices herein shown
and described for operating the toggles, for instead of the screw gear a hydraulic
press or some other suitable mechanism may be used for the purpose of drawing
the actuating toggles together in operating the press, and in fact the actuating
toggles themselves may be dispensed with and some suitable mechanism substituted
in place of that shown for the purpose of operating the guide toggles..
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim
First In a toggle press, each follower in combination with its toggle block, and
a pair of toggle arms connecting the follower to its toggle block, whereby the said
follower is maintained in planes parallel with its bed-plate, substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Second In a toggle press, the followers K in combination with the toggle
blocks i, and the toggle arms ¹ arranged in pairs, one pair being pivotted to the
toggle-block and the corresponding head piece of the press, and the other pair
pivotted to the toggle block and its respective follower, substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Third. In a toggle press, one or more pairs of followers arranged evenly on each
side of the actuating mechanism, in combination with toggle blocks for the
respective followers, toggle arms arranged in pairs and connecting the followers to
their respective blocks by a pair of arms to each block, and mechanism whereby
the press toggles and followers are all operated simultaneously, substantially as,
and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourth The press toggles, in combination with the guides to which the inner ends
of the guide toggles are pivotted, and mechanism for spreading the guide toggles
to operate the press toggles, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fifth The press toggles I, in combination with the guide toggles J, the guide
blocks C, the upright guide ways b and mechanism for operating the guide toggles,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.

page_text: Sixth The press toggles, in combination with the guide toggles, guide blocks to
which the inner ends of the latter are pivotted, the actuating toggles, the knuckle
nuts, the actuating screw, and suitable mechanism for turning said screw,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Seventh The press toggles I, in combination with the guide toggles J, the guide
blocks C, the guide beams B, the guide toggles D, the knuckle nuts E, and the
worm shaft H, substantially as, and the purposes, set forth.
Eighth The press toggles, in combination with the guide toggles and guide
blocks to which the inner ends of the guide toggles are pivotted and arranged in
suitable guide ways, and mechanism whereby the said guide blocks are moved to
operate the press toggles, substantially as described.
Ninth The knuckle nuts, in combination with the actuating toggles and the
guide toggles and guide pin, fastening the ends of both sides of toggles by a single
pin to the guide blocks, substantially as described.
Tenth In a toggle press, one or more pairs of followers, in combination with
connecting bars whereby the followers are maintained at a proper distance apart, a
toggle block for each of the followers and a pair of toggle arms connecting each
follower to its respective block whereby the level position of the follower is
maintained, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth..
Eleventh The followers, in combination with the distancing beams connecting
the said followers together, and a guide attached to the central portion of the
beams, whereby the lateral movement of the distancing bars rising from
inequalities of resistance is prevented, substantially as described.
Twelfth The followers K, in combination with the distancing bars L, the guide
bars the truss bars and the upright beams b, substantially as, and for the
purposes, set forth.
In witness whereof 1 the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fourth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
HENRY H. LAKE (LS.)