An Improved Rolling Mill for Rolling Wheels and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rolling Mill for Rolling Wheels and the like.
I, JOHANN SCHOLTA, of Zaporoschie-Kamenskoe, South Russia, Foreman of a
Rolling Mill, 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:.
This rolling mill is intended for rolling disc-shaped wheels, pulleys and like
articles from a single piece of metal, after having first undergone the preparatory
operation of casting forging or stamping, being supplied to the rolling mill in
the form of a centrally perforated disc which may or may not be provided with
an enlargement of its sectional area at the centre for the hub, boss or nave and
also around its periphery for the rim or felloe.
This rolling mill is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation,
Figure 2 an end view thereof, and
Figures 3 to 12 show various details hereinafter referred to and drawn to a
larger scale.
In two side-frames cheeks or standards a and b connected by bed-plates there
are supported in bearings specially constructed for the purpose the two shafts A A
of the rolling mill and one end of the driving or motor shaft E. The shafts of
the rolling mill are inclined at an angle to each other and upon one end of each
of these shafts there is mounted a shaping roller c while on their opposite ends
are keyed the toothed wheels D, one of which on the upper shaft A gears with
the toothed wheel El on the driving shaft E, whereas the two remaining wheels D
are in gear with each other.
The rollers c c mounted upon the shafts A A are of such a shape that their sur-
faces exactly correspond to the outer profile of the web of the solid wheel or
other disc-shaped article to be rolled and to the profile of the rim. The upper
shaft receives rotary motion only, while the lower shaft is adapted to rise and
descend as well as to revolve, such motion being imparted to it from the plunger d
of an hydraulic cylinder * secured in the lower part of the standard or cheek a;
by means of which plunger or piston the lower roller may be forced towards
the upper roller with a pre-determined amount of force.
In order to enable the lower shaft to be raised and lowered the parts of the
bearings are constructed of spherical shape, while the front-bearing i is made
movable in a slot of the standard a.
On to the rear end of the lower shaft A there is mounted and wedged a cross-
head e connected to the standard b by links f and eye bolts y as shown in detail
in Figures 11 and 12, and hereinafter described.
The said cross-head e is for the purpose of causing, during the alterations of
position of the lower roller c, any point thereof to describe a trajectory line which
is as near as possible a vertical line. Owing to this arrangement the position
of the lower roller c may be accurately adjusted no matter what may be the
angular position of the shaft A.

page_text: The said rollers are supported on the conical end pieces of the two shafts
and are secured thereto by keys or feathers c¹.
The lower front bearing i belonging to the lower shaft A is adapted to move
in brackets which go to form the table or bench . The bench is provided
with guides B B. Within these guides are secured the guide-rollers of the
tablet adapted to receive uniform motion in the axial direction of the rolling
mill from the piston or plunger of the hydraulic cylinder m¹.
The bench comprises the carrier having cast on its face and rear side respec-
tively four projecting blocks into which are fitted bolts a for carrying the rollers b
at each side of the standard a with the object of accurately guiding the table.
The head of the carrier is fork shaped with a concave bottom surface into which
is fitted the bearing-block as indicated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, the
arrangement being such as to enable the block fitted with brasses forming the
bearing to adjust itself to the movements of lower shaft A.
The carrier d² has at each side secured to it by screws, two brackets the ends
of which are fixed to the cross bars (2. Above the brackets and the carrier are
arranged parallel guide-rails 13 in which rollers t' of the tablet (Figures 7 and 8)
run in order to guide the table in the horizontal direction. With a view of
rigidly securing the above mentioned parts together the guide rails B besides
being fixed by screw bolts are further held by a dove tail connection formed
between the lower rail B and the said brackets and wedge-pieces f¹.
The downwardly protruding ends of the table below the rollers t¹ slide in grooves
provided for this purpose in the lower rail thereby preventing side movement
of the table.
and
In the table are formed two slots o and o¹ arranged at right angles to each
other. In the slot o' a slide, fitted with a guide roller æ is adapted to move see
Figures 8 and 9, while in the slot o the slide shown in Figure 10 and carrying
the working roller Z moves. The roller is mounted on a vertical pin .
serve in guiding the work while being operated upon and it can be adjusted
by means of the screw and hand wheel F Figure 2 by gradually withdrawing it
in proportion as the work stretches and thus enabling the latter to always remain
central.
The slide carrying the roller Z (Figure 10) besides being caused to slide in
the slot o by means of the hand wheel F and screw o provided at the front
with vertically arranged guides for guiding a plate carrying the horizontal pivot
of the roller z. This last mentioned slide is moved downward by the plunger p
of the hydraulic ram p* cast in one with the guide pieces. The return or up
motion is effected by a weighted lever * as will be seen from Figure 10.
In the centre of the table is a mandrel r, see Figure 7 easily removable, over
which is placed the work. This mandrel has a central hole extending through
the greatest portion without however piercing the bottom thereof, besides having
a number of smaller radial holes for the purpose of cooling the mandrel and
also for cooling the hub after being finished, without however allowing water
to pass onto the disc which is being rolled simultaneously therewith.
The cooling of the hub is necessary for if neglected the hub, on account of its
greater bulk to the disc, will remain hotter than the other parts of the wheel
and, after removal from the rolling mill, will set up strains in the material.
At the rear of the mandrel is the roller s the position of which from the centre
can be regulated by the interposition of washers or wings and which in conjunc-
tion with the distances to which the rollers and c c are adjusted determine the
diameter of the hub.
The required thickness of the disc is obtained by the action of the rollers c c,
while the roller z with but a slight pressure on the material due to the action
of the plunger of the hydraulic ram p follows the outline of the shaped material
and assists the roller s in keeping the partially formed hub pressed against the
rollers c c, that is to say, centrally, and thus by properly adjusting the guide

page_text: roller a it is possible to operate on work not having a hole and requiring no
mandrel.
The roller z after having shaped out the hub has completed its work and the
same holds good with regard to the rollers after it has shaped the disc.
Two radially arranged recesses h formed in the surface of the table & are fitted
with antifriction rollers for supporting the work see Figures 7 and 8.
The cross head e' (Figures 11 and 12) is made of steel and has pins e¹ formed
at its ends to receive the eyes of the links and f, which latter by their other
ends engage with a pin or bolt & mounted in lugs f¹ formed on the standard b.
The rear ends of the links y pass through holes in the frame and are provided
with nuts and lock nuts as shown to permit of the vertical adjustment of the
shaft A and lower roller c.
The cross head e is fitted centrally with a brass bush engaging tightly the rear
portion of the shaft A. The ends of the brass bush are formed by flanges m m
engaging the cross head and having each a steel disc n 11. The latter are
formed with a groove into which engages a cotter n passing through a hole in
the shaft and thus causing them to rotate with the shaft A.
The bearing made of a single piece should when of cast iron, be fitted with a
brass bush or lining. The socket of this bearing consists of two parts secured
together by bolts 3 in the manner shown in the drawings. The socket, with its
bearing engaged in the two parts, is placed from the rear into the frame b and
then lifted and the wedges placed in position below it and the whole is then
kept in position by plates. The position of the socket and bearing can be
regulated by placing filling pieces at the top of the socket and then adjusting the
wedges at the bottom by means of the screw nuts z on the screwed ends of the
wedges projecting through holes in the plates ..
All the movements of the tablet and roller may be performed by means of
screws (or worms) instead of by hydraulic cylinders; and conversely the slides
with the rollers 2 and may be operated by means of hydraulic cylinders instead
of by screws.
In guides secured to the rear-end of the table is a slide block G provided with
a roller mounted on a vertical axis. This side block at the same time forms
the cylinder for the piston ¹ of a hydraulic ram, by which the roller is pressed
against the rim of the wheel.
The roughly prepared iron or steel blanks which by casting forging or punch-
ing may be provided with a central perforation and an enlargement both in the
middle and round their periphery are rolled in the mill above described in the
following manner:-
Before commencing operation the table t is moved clear of the rollers c, c, and
the rollers and are moved a sufficient distance from the mandrel r, to enable
the block which it is desired to roll to be readily placed upon the said mandrel.
The lower shaft A with its roller c is lowered sufficiently to admit of the rim
of the block being inserted between the rollers c c.
The blank heated to white heat having been placed upon the mandrel r, the
shafts A A, with their rollers c c are set in motion; the table is then fed along
by the piston of the hydraulic ram m¹ so that the roller u is pressed close against
the outer surface of the rim of the wheel. Meanwhile the roller is moved
close to the rim, and the roller z close to the nave of the disc-shaped blank, pres-
sure being at the same time applied to the blank in the vertical direction by
the roller through the action of the piston of the hydraulic ram p*. Now
the piston of the hydraulic cylinder is operated so as to press the lower
roller c against the blank thus causing the blank to rotate and the nave or hub
to undergo the rolling operation.
After the nave and the contiguous portion of the disc has been reduced to its
proper dimensions the upward movement of the lower shaft A is arrested, but
without the rotary motion being stopped, so that the distance between the rollers
ce remains constant and equal to the desired thickness or depth of the web
and

page_text: rim of its finished pulley or wheel. The roller is then gradually moved away
from the nave or hub, pressure being all the while exerted against the inside
of the rim, the pressure of the piston v being maintained throughout the
time occupied in rolling. Moreover through the medium of the piston of the
hydraulic ram m³, the pressure of which is in excess of that exerted by the
piston, the table t, together with the mandrel r, and the wheel or disc thereon,
is slowly removed in a direction away from the revolving rollers c c.
The bench
or table should be displaced or adjusted to an extent equal to the increase in
the diameter of the blank during the rolling operation. When the process of
rolling is nearly terminated-and when it is desired to produce a bend or curve
in the web of the wheel-the hand-wheel F, with screw, is operated so as to
bring the rolls into proper position at a distance from the mandrel r and then
force the said roller downward by the action of the piston r of the hydraulic
ram whereby the desired curve in the disc will be obtained.
The roller serves as a guide roller during the whole rolling operation and
also serves in regulating the position of the blank.
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:
―:
A rolling mill for rolling solid wheels and other articles of like shape, charac-
terised by the provision of inclined shafts A A, the lower one of which is adjustable
by means of the hydraulic ram' d, the said shafts carrying rollers c c, which in
conjunction with the table supported on guides by rollers ¹, and pressure
rollers z, a, s and u, partly controlled by the hydraulic rams p and v, act upon
the "blank" placed on the mandrel r provided on the said table, the latter being
moved or fed along by a pressure cylinder or ram m; the said lower movable
shaft A being supported in ball-shaped bearings and adapted to be adjusted in
any desired position by means of a link connection 9, substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of January 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.