Improvements in Apparatus for use in Upsetting or Enlarging Parts of Metal Bars in the Manufacture of Links for Bridge Work and other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in Upsetting or Enlarging Parts
of Metal Bars in the Manufacture of Links for Bridge Work and
other purposes.
1, ROBERT ALEXANDER BAILLIE, of London Yard, Isle of Dogs, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements bereinafter described in the
construction and arrangement of dies or parts of dies for use in upsetting or
enlarging by hydraulic or other power the end portions or other portions of bars of
iron and steel in order to the manufacture of links for bridge work and other
purposes therefrom the object of my said invention being principally to prevent
buckling" of the bars while being acted on in the dies and consequent mal-
formation of the part or parts of the bars being upset or enlarged.
According to my said invention 1 form the dies in two principal parts one of
which (hereinafter-termed "the front die block ") receives the portion of the bar
from which one half of the enlargement is to be formed and is connected to or acted
on by the ram of the hydraulic or other press. The other of the said two parts or
blocks (hereinafter termed the back die block") is connected to or acted on by
the crosshead of the press and receives the portion of the bar from which the other
half of the enlargement is to be formed. In the said blocks are cavities (hereinafter
termed "shaping cavities") which admit of the required spreading of the bar at
the part which is to be upset or enlarged and are partly occupied by dies (herein-
after termed "edge dies") against which the edges of the part of the bar being
upset or enlarged bear. The said edge dies are secured at one end in the front
die block and have inclines formed on them which bear against parts of the back
die block or against keys secured therein the inclines being so formed as to
admit of the said edge dies being pushed outward as the die blocks approach each
other. In the said die blocks are also other cavities which are occupied by dies
between which the bar to be operated on lies the said dies being hereinafter
termined the supporting bar" and "the pressing bar" respectively. For the sake
of distinction the bar which is to be operated on in the dies is hereinafter termed
the link bar."
The cavities in the die blocks which are occupied by the supporting bar
are formed below the shaping cavities and are hereinafter termed the lower
cavities" and the cavities in the said blocks which are occupied by the pressing
bar are formed above the shaping cavities and are hereinafter termed "the upper
cavities."
The supporting bar is secured at one end by any suitable means in the lower
cavity of the front die block and the pressing bar is secured at one end in the
upper cavity of the front die block by means of a joint pin or bolt on which the
said pressing bar may be turned away from the supporting bar so as to expose
the acting faces of the said bars when necessary. Both the supporting bar and
the pressing bar are of sufficient length to project considerably from the front die
block and the projecting portions of the said bars respectively engage in the lower
and upper cavities of the back die block and slide therein when the front and back
die blocks are caused to approach or to recede from one another by the action of
the press as hereinafter described. The pressing bar is also retained in its place
in the upper cavity of the back die block by means of keys when the link bar is in
place in the dies which keys bear on inclines formed on the said bar. This
arrangement permits the pressing bar to rise gradually to a limited extent when

page_text: the front and back die blocks are caused to approach each other by the action
of the press.
On the acting face of the supporting bar or of the pressing bar or on
the acting faces of both the said bars are projecting ribs or projections of other
form which enter the bar to be operated on and prevent lateral motion thereof
while the press is in action.
The said apparatus is used and acts as hereinafter described.
The front and back die blocks are connected in any suitable manner with the
rain and crosshead of the press at such a distance apart as is necessary to cause
the link bar to be operated on to be upset to the required extent by the forcing of
the said die blocks together. The link bar is placed and secured in the apparatus
as follows.
The pressing bar is released from the back die block by removing the
keys which confine it in place in the upper cavity in the said die block and the said
pressing bar is then turned on the pin or bolt by which it is jointed to the front
die block. The link bar to be operated on is then placed on the supporting bar
and secured to the cross head of the press or otherwise suitably secured. The
pressing bar is then turned back into the upper recess in the back die block and
secured by means of the key the link bar being then confined in the dies between
the supporting bar and the pressing bar. The front and back die blocks are then
forced together by means of the press the required portion of the link bar being
thereby upset or caused to swell and enter the shaping cavities.
remove the link bar after upsetting it the key which confines the pressing bar is
removed and the said pressing bar is turned away from the link bar which is then
disengaged and removed from the apparatus.
In order to
By the arrangement hereinbefore described of the supporting bar and the pressing
bar and the edge dies the link bar while being acted on is effectually supported and
confined at all parts whereby buckling of the link bar while being upset is pre-
vented. The said arrangement also admits of the required motion of the dies while
the press is in action without excessive friction.
Apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described may be readily adapted for
operating on link bars of different thicknesses by providing several pressing bars of
different sizes and substituting one for another according to the thickness of the
link bars which may have to be operated on.
In some cases the edge dies may be dispensed with.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in Upsetting or Enlarging Parts
of Metal Bars in the Manufacture of Links for Bridge Work and
other purposes.
I, ROBERT ALEXANDER BAILLIE, of London Yard, Isle of Dogs, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the
construction and arrangement of dies or parts of apparatus for use in upsetting
or enlarging by hydraulic or other power the end portions or other portions
of bars of iron and steel in order to the manufacture of links for bridge work and
other purposes therefrom the object of my said invention being principally
to prevent buckling" of the bars while being acted on in the dies and consequent
malformation of the part or parts of the bars being upset or enlarged.
According to one arrangement embodying my invention I form the said
apparatus in two principal parts one of which (hereinafter termed "the front
die block") receives the portion of the bar from which one half of the enlarge-
ment is to be formed and is connected to or acted on by the ram of the hydraulic

page_text: or other press. The other of the said two parts (hereinafter termed "the back die
block") is connected to or acted on by the cross head of the press and receives the
portion of the bar from which the other half of the enlargement is to be formed. In
the said blocks are cavities which are occupied by bars hereinafter termed "the
supporting bar" and "the pressing bar" respectively between which bars the bar to
be operated on lies. For the sake of distinction the bar which is to be operated on
is hereinafter termed the link bar."
The supporting bar is secured at one end by any suitable means in the front die
block and the pressing bar is secured at one end in the said front die block by
means of a joint pin or bolt on which the said pressing bar may be turned away
from the supporting bar so as to expose the acting faces of the said bars when
necessary. Both the supporting bar and the pressing bar are of sufficient length to
project considerably from the front die block and the projecting portions of the
said bars respectively engage in the lower and upper portions of the cavity of the
back die block and slide therein when the front and back die blocks are caused to
approach or to recede from one another by the action of the press as hereinafter
described. The pressing bar is also retained in its place in the back die block by
means of keys or cross bars when the link is in place in the apparatus which keys
or cross bars bear on inclines formed on the said bar. This arrangement permits
the pressing bar to rise gradually to a limited extent when the front and back die
blocks are caused to approach each other by the action of the press. On the
acting face of the supporting bar or of the pressing bar or on the acting.
faces of both the said bars are projecting ribs or projections of other form which
enter the bar to be operated on and prevent lateral motion thereof while the press
is in action.
I will further describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings
Figure 1 of which is a plan of the apparatus hereinbefore described.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof taken on the line A. Figure 1 and
Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line B Figure 1.
In the following description the parts of the said drawings are referred to by
the letters and figures marked thereon. The same letters and figures of reference
indicate the same parts in all the said figures of the drawings.
a is a portion of the ram of the press bare the guide rods thereof and c is the
cross head. d is the front die block which is secured to the ram a and e is the
back die block which is secured to the cross head c. is the supporting bar which
is connected by a pin g to the front die block. Projecting from the upper or
acting face of the said bar f is a rib not shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 but shown
in Figure 4 which is a side view of a portion of the said bar shown separately and
in Figure 5 which is an end view of the said bar. The said rib which is marked f¹
is formed on a bar of metal f secured in a recess in the pressing bar f. The
object of the said rib is to prevent the link bark from bending between the bars f
and while being operated on. is the pressing bar and are the inclines
formed thereon. The said pressing bar is connected to the block d by means of a
pin passing through the said bar the ends of which pin project from the sides of
the said bar and engage with recesses in the upper portion of the said block d.
k is the link bar and are the keys or cross bars which bear on the inclines h²
of the pressing bar h and retain it in place. To secure the link bar k to the cross
heade the said bar is gripped between blocks of metal m m forced together by a
hydraulic press carried by the cross head which press is not shown in the drawings.
The said link bar k is confined at the edges of the part where the swell of the head
or enlargement is required to end by means of dies n n placed in apertures in the
die block e which dies n n are engaged by means of ribs n' n' formed on their
outer ends with grooves o o formed in slides o' o' which slides are engaged by
means of inclined ribs o² o2 on their outer ends with inclined grooves formed in a
block of metal e* secured to the die block e. This arrangement admits of the
position of the dies nn being readily adjusted to suit" bars of different widths the

page_text: said dies being caused to project farther into the interior of the die block e or to
be partially or entirely withdrawn by driving the slides o' of lengthwise in one or
other direction.
In the drawings herein before described the parts of the apparatus are shown in
the positions they occupy immediately before beginning to operate on the link.
bar shown therein.
The apparatus herein before described is used and acts as follows:-
The link bar to be headed is heated nearly to white heat at the part which is to
be upset that is from the end which in Figure 2 of the drawings is shown bearing
against the front die block d to the part which is confined between the edge
dies nn and is kept as cool as possible beyond the latter part and the heated bar is
then secured in place in the said apparatus as shown in the drawings hereinbefore
described. The front and back die blocks are then forced together by means of
the press whereby the heated portion of the link bar is upset or compressed end-
wise and caused to expand both in width and thickness the increase of thickness
of the link bar at the said part being permitted by the rising of the pressing bar h
as the die blocks approach each other the said rising of the pressing bar being due
to the inclines on its upper surface. When the operation is completed the
headed bar may be released by removing pressure from the gripping blocks m m¹
and driving out the keys and withdrawing the edge dies nn and turning up the
pressing die on its pin j.
The head thus formed on the link bar may be trimmed by any convenient means
after the bar has been removed from the apparatus.
By the arrangeme: hereinbefore described of the supporting bar and the
pressing bar the link bar while being acted on is effectually supported and confined
at all necessary parts whereby buckling of the link bar while being upset is pre-
vented. The said arrangement also admits of the required motion of the dies
while the press is in action without excessive friction.
Apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described may be readily adapted for
operating on link bars of different thicknesses by providing several pressing bars
of different sizes and substituting one for another according to the thickness of the
link bars which may have to be operated on.
The precise arrangement of parts hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
figures of the accompanying drawings hereinbefore referred to is not essential to
the successful carrying out of my invention as considerable modifications may be
made provided the essential features of my invention be retained which essential
features are the provision of means permitting of gradual increase of the distance
between the supporting bar and the pressing bar during the thickening of the link
bar between them by the upsetting operation and the provision of means for
keeping the link bar in such a position while being upset that during the whole of
the upsetting operation an equal or nearly equal bulk of the metal of the link bar
will be kept on either side of a plane passing longitudinally through the middle of
the said bar at right angles to its broader faces. In the arrangement herein before
described the required position of the bar is preserved by means of the longitudinal
V shaped rib (shown in Figures 4 and 5) projecting from the face of the
supporting bar which rib enters the link bar when the pressing bar is caused to
bear thereon by driving in the, keys 11. The effect of the said rib is to prevent
any material flow of metal from one side to the other of the plane above referred
to and to prevent lateral distortion of the head of the bar while being upset. These
results would be as effectually attained by means of a rib of different form or by
means of a rib on the pressing bar instead of on the supporting bar or by means of
any other arrangement which would cause the engagement of the pressing bar or
the supporting bar with the link bar at or near the iniddle of its breadth.
A modified arrangement embodying the said essential features of my invention
is hereinafter described with reference to Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying
drawings Figure 6 being a plan partly in section and Figures 7 and 8 vertical
sections of the said apparatus. The line of the section Figure 6 is shown at C

page_text: Figure 7 that of the section Figure 7 at D Figure 6 and that of the section
Figure 8 at E Figure 6.
The positions of the moving parts of the apparatus as shown in the said figures
are those which they occupy when the upsetting of the link bar is completed. The
said link bar is shown in Figures 6 and 7 but not in Figure S.
In the following description of the said figures and in the description hereinafter
contained of the other figures of the accompanying drawings parts which have
been described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 are marked with the same
letters and figures of reference but are not in all cases further described or
referred to.
In the said modified arrangement the supporting bar f and the pressing bar h
are both carried by the back die block e and the upsetting of the link bar kis
effected by means of a diep secured to the ram a of the press and working in
recesses (see Figure 8) formed in the side walls of the back die block e which
diep passes between the supporting and pressing bars and bears at its free end
against the head end of the link bar. And the increase of distance between the
pressing bar and the supporting barf during the upsetting operation is permitted
by means of bars 77 secured to the cross head and bearing on the bottom of the
back die block e which bars gy have inclines 7¹¹ formed on their upper faces on
which inclines feet formed on the underside of the supporting bar bear.
A portion of the press carried by the cross head c and by which the gripping
blocks m m' are pressed on the link bar & is shown at c* in Figure 7.
A further modification of the arrangement of apparatus hereinfirst described in
which modification the essential features of my said invention are also embodied is
illustrated in Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings and herein-
after described with reference thereto. Figure 9 is a side elevation partly in
section taken on the line F Figure 11. Figure 10 a section taken on the line G
Figure 9 (the parts a and being shown in elevation). Figure 11 an end view
and Figure 12 a transverse section taken on the line H. Figure 9 looking towards
the cross head end of the apparatus. In all the said figures the parts of the
apparatus are shown in the positions they occupy when the upsetting of the bar is
completed.
'
*
In this modification the apparatus is arranged to receive the link bar in such a
position that its broader faces are vertical and the said bar while being upset lies
between diess (corresponding to the supporting bar and pressing bar herein-
before described) which are permitted to separate while the link bar is being upset
by means of a duplication of the arrangement described with reference to the
supporting bar in the apparatus illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8 namely by means
of bars (corresponding to the bars 7 shown in Figures 7 and 8) carried by the
ram of the press a and having inclined faces on which projections on the
dies bear when the apparatus is in action. The die is supported by an
extension ¹ formed on the cross head c and the dies is supported by an extension w
formed on the ram of the press * carried by the said cross head by which press
the link bar is gripped between the blocks m m. The die p by which the
upsetting of the bar is effected is mounted and acts as described with reference to
Figures 6, 7 and 8. v is a roller carried by the cross head which roller supports
the link bar while it is being run into the apparatus. The said roller is shown
only in Figure 9. After the upsetting of a bar in the apparatus the dies is drawn
away from the dier by means of a hydraulic press or other suitable apparatus to
which the part carrying the said dies is connected by rods to. The position of
the rib corresponding to the rib f hereinbefore described is indicated by broken
lines at in Figure 9.
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 I
claim -
First Annoratus
constructed and arranged substantially 85 hereinbefore

page_text: described for use in upsetting metal bars that is to say apparatus for the said
purpose so arranged that the dies or parts of the apparatus between which the.
broader faces of the portion of the bar to be upset lie are in contact or nearly
in contact with the said faces of the said bar during the whole of the upsetting
operation the said dies receding one from the other during the said operation to
the extent and in the direction necessary to admit of the swelling between them of
the portion of the bar being upset.
Secondly-The means hereinbefore described for preventing distortion by
lateral motion of a metal bar while being upset between dies that is to say an
arrangement or arrangements whereby the said bar is engaged at or near the
middle of its breadth with one or other or both of the said dies.
Dated the 28th day of February 1891.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.