Improvements in or relating to Presses or Apparatus for Squirting Lead or other Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 13th June. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Presses or Apparatus for Squirting
Lead or other Material.
A communication from HENRY BOSWELL COBB, of Wilmington, in the
County of Newcastle and State of Delaware, United States of America,
Manufacturer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 invention relates to an improvement in the class of machine known as a
lead-press, involving, as its generally stated construction, a frame supporting a
stationary or vertically reciprocable rammer, a piston, usually actuated by
hydraulic pressure, a supply-chamber for containing the charge of molten lead
and in vertical line with the rammer, and a die-chamber containing the tube-
forming dies and extending across and cominunicating with the lead-chamber.
The primary object of this improvement is to expedite the evacuation through
the die of the contents of the lead-chamber, with the minimum amount of pressure,
thereby to facilitate and enhance the rapidity of turning out the product of the
machine. This is accomplished by employing, in addition to the downwardly
inclined wall, with which the die-chamber is provided and which extends from the
supply-chamber outlet above the plane of the core-tube to the base of the die-
chamber near its discharge-outlet, novel details of construction whereby the
female die may be maintained always in a cool condition to cool and firmly set
the tubing-product of the press the moment it is formed; whereby the lead-
cylinder, or supply-chamber, shall be effectually cooled and maintained in a cool
condition to avoid loss of time in the "setting" of a charge of molten lead ruo
into the chamber; and whereby there may invariably be attained practical
uniformity in the thickness of the tubing-product of the machine.
Referring to the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 shows the improved lead-press in side elevation and, beside it, the
furnace employed for melting the lead with which to charge the lead-cylinder, or
supply-chamber, in the lead-press;
Figure 2 is a section taken at the line 2 on Figure 1, viewed in the direction of
the arrow and enlarged;
Figure 3, a section taken at the line 3 on Figure 2 and viewed in the direction
of the arrow;
Figure 4, a section taken at the line 4 on Figure 3 and viewed in the direction
of the arrow;
Figure 5, an inner face view of the female die eccentrically confined in its die-.
block;
Figure 6, an outer face view of the female die in its die-block;
Figure 7, a view in end elevation of the female die as presented in Figure 5;
Figure 8, a view in elevation of the female die regarded from the opposite end
to that presented in Figure 7;
Figure 9, a section taken at the line 9 on Figure 6, viewed in the direction of
the arrow and enlarged, being an enlarged representation of the female die in its
die-block, as shown in Figure 3;

page_text: removed; and
Readymader oy a pian view with a section of the cap-ring
Figure 11 is a section taken through the circular line 11 on Figure 10, viewed
in the direction of the arrow and representing diagrammatically in a straight
plane the vertical convoluted water-course provided in the wall of the lead-
cylinder.
A (Figure 1) denotes a furnace in which the lead is melted for use in the
lead-press. The furnace need contain no features of novelty and forms no part
of the invention; hence it requires no detailed description further than to direct
attention to the discharge-spouts through which the charges of molten lead
are run, at desired intervals, into the lead-chamber of the press, between
which chamber, at its top, and the spout a removable trough s¹ is adjusted for
the purpose.
B denotes the supporting pillars carrying on their upper end the head B', from
which depends a stationary rammer C. D is the head on the vertically recipro-
cating hydraulic piston D and carrying the die-chamber E formed in the block F
to extend transversely across the machine. On the block F is supported the lead-
cylinder G, or supply chamber for the molten lead, leading at its base into an
opening r, in vertical line with it, through the top of the block F, and the sides of
which should converge downwardly as shown in Figure 2, to the entrance of the
opening into the die-chamber. In the hollow block F is formed the die-chamber E,
with the opposite threaded openings for the insertion of the dies and other parts
co-operating with them, as hereinafter described. F1 is a sleeve or die-block of
generally cylindrical form, being externally screw-threaded toward its outer end,
at which it screws into one of the threaded die-chamber openings referred to, and
as shown at a in Figure 2; and the sleeve is beveled on its inner end to form
about the male die or core-tube I, hereinafter described, an inclined shoulder or
flange, which affords one wall (the furthest from the outlet for the product) of the
die-chamber, the shoulder being at, or about at, such an angle of downward
inclination that it shall form a continuance of the degree of incline of the adjacent
side of the opening r and continue to the base of the die-chamber about to, and
preferably beyond, as shown, the vertical plane of the base of the opposite side of
the opening r In the block F, inside the sleeve F is seated the male die or core-
tube I, which should be hollow, as shown, if the product of the press be a metal
coated tube, say of rubber, in order to afford a passage for the tube to be so
coated; though the improved press is intended for the manufacture, also, of mere
tubing out of molten lead or other suitable material. The core-tube is held
against backward displacement by the set-screw p shown as a hollow nut screwing
into the outer end of the sleeve F; the core-tube being also provided, in its outer
end, with a threaded socket t into which to screw a threaded head on the end of an
instrument (not shown) by which to withdraw the core-tube on removing the
plug p.
At its inner tapering end the core-tube I projects beyond the inclined
wall of the die-chamber afforded by the forward end of the sleeve F', in line with
and adjacent to the opening through the female die K in a sleeve F2 inserted into
and seated in the opening in the hollow block F opposite that at which the
die 1 is inserted, and held against backward displacement by the hollow set-screw or
plug p screwed into place, as shown.
As will be noticed the wall of the sleeve F¹ is considerably thicker ou its under
than on its upper side, thereby to reduce the space in the upper portion of the die-
chamber E and accordingly enlarge that in the lower portion thereof, by raising
the die I nearer to the base of the opening r, whereby the larger proportion of the
molten lead is held in the bottom of the chamber, from which the pressure against
the ram C tends to force it the more uniformly about the tapering end or nose of the
male die or core-tube.
. The inner wall O of the die-chamber, when formed with the inclined shoulder
about the core-tube I and afforded by the beveled end of the sleeve F1, should
incline downward at an angle of forty-five degrees, or thereabout, toward the

page_text: outlet for the product through the die K and forms along its base-portion a solid
supporting base for the core-tube nearly throughout its full length.
The operation of the machine, as thus far described, will be understood to be as
follows:
The chamber G being charged, from the furnace A, with molten lead, which
enters and fills the space in the chamber E, the hydraulic piston is actuated to raise
the parts supported by it. If the machine be employed for coating with lead a
tube of insulating material (rubber) or an insulated cable, or the like, as it may
be, the latter is first inserted through the core-tube I sufficiently far to extend
past the die K. The lead in the chamber G is forced with great pressure against
the rammer C and discharged about the tapering end of the core-tube I through
the die K to form the lead tubing or coating, as the product of the machine, which
emerges through the female die."
Owing to the provision of the inclined wall O, the discharge of the lead from
the lead-chamber under the hydraulic pressure to which it is subjected meets with
such comparatively little impediment, that it runs out the tubing with a speed so
great as to preclude adequate setting of the lead, in the tubing, by cooling. To
overcome this difficulty, means are provided for cooling the female die to cause it
to chill the lead in the die-chamber before the tubing is formed; and following is
a description of the means referred to: About the exterior of the annular sleeve F*
is formed a circumferential groove o in which, about the sleeve, are provided a
series of openings o' leading to the interior of the sleeve. To this annular groove
is led, from a cold-water supply (not shown), a pipe n' into a passage n, in the wall
of the hollow block F, leading to a point of the groove o; and a similar passage m
in the block F leads from an opposite point of the annular groove to a discharge-
pipe m', which carries off the surplus water introduced into the groove.
supply of cold water admitted through the pipe n' into the groove o the female die
is kept cool to chill the lead just about to pass through the die, and while the lead
tubing or pipe being formed in the die K, the cold water which escapes through
the openings o' strikes the tubing as it is formed and further cools it to enable it to
be handled on emerging from the machine.
With a
Means are also provided for heating the die-block F containing the die-chamber,
by steam, in order to maintain the desired temperature of the molten lead in the
chamber. To this end is formed a steam-passage in the wall of the block to
extend about its contained die-chamber and lead the steam (from a supply which
is not shown) through a pipe into one end of the passage, from the other end
of which, on the same side of the die-block with the inlet, it discharges through
the pipe. If desired the passage may be employed for circulating cold water
through it to cool off the chamber in case it should become undesirably hot, or
to quickly cool it for any purpose; and any suitable valve-arrangement may be
provided to control the communication of the pipe with a steam and a cold
water-supply, a three-way valve device, which would answer, being too common an
expedient for analogous purposes to require illustration.
To work the press to the best advantage, it is very important, also, that the
lead-supply chamber G should be always kept cool, so that the molten metal shall
set to the desired degree, to adapt it for being formed into the product of the
machine, as soon as possible, or practically as soon as it is run into the chamber,
and thus avoid the waste of time that otherwise ensues by waiting for the charge
to set. Accordingly in the wall of the chamber G is provided a continuous vertical
convoluted passage, shown diagrammatically in Figure 11, by forming, at intervals
vertically through the wall openings k, extending from an annular recess i in one
end of the wall to a similar recess in the opposite end thereof, and being
connected, alternately at their opposite ends, by are-shaped channels and i³
formed in the bases of the respective recesses i and ; and these annular recesses
are covered, to close the openings k and channels i,, by annular plates or cap-
rings hand, firmly fastened down in place. Into one end of this convoluted
passage at the base of the lead-supply chamber a pipe k' is led from a cold-water

page_text: supply; and from the opposite end of the passage, near the upper end of the
chamber G, the discharge takes place through a pipe k³.
A further important feature of this improvement relates to means for maintaining
alignment between the longitudinal center of the male die or core-tube I and the
female die K, which, if they get out of alignment, as, for example by any slight
bending or deflection, under the strain of pressure, of the core-tube, or from any
other cause, produce lack of uniformity in the thickness of the tubing-product of
the press, which will be thickest where the greater space is afforded, by the non-
alignment referred to, between the female die and the adjacent end of the
male die.
As will be seen by inspection of Figures 4 and 5, in particular, the opening in
the sleeve F, affording the seat for the female die K, is eccentric, with the
circumference of the 'sleeve, and has its center at c¹; and the circular opening
through the die K is also eccentric with the circumference of the die, and has its
center at c, which should be maintained in alignment with the longitudinal center
of the core-tube I. As shown in Figure 5, the center c aligns with the center of
the core-tube when the latter is in normal position. About the inner face of the
sleeve or die-block F2 is indicated a scale g; and on the adjacent face of the die K
is an index-point g'. The die in the sleeve F2 may be readily turned therein by
means of a suitable key inserted into the notches in the outer end of the die;
and the sleeve may be similarly turned owing to the provision of the notches fin
its outer end, though the snugness with which the female die fits in its seat causes
it to turn with the sleeve when the latter is turned. When, therefore, the tubing-
product emerging from the machine, shows lack of uniformity in thickness, indicating
non-alignment of the core-tube center with the center c, the portion in the circum-
ference of the tubing where its wall is, say thickened, and the degree of excessive
thickness, are noticed; and the sleeve F, with the die it holds, is removed. By then
turning the die toward the left in its seat the extent corresponding with the variation
from uniformity in thickness, according to the scale g, and, when the sleeve is again
inserted into place in the relative position in which it is presented by Figure 5,
turning it correspondingly toward the left, the required alignment between the
center c and male-die center will be produced.
For the sake of brevity I designate throughout this Specification the press
provided with the improvements a "lead-press," but intend to include hy the term
such a press whatever may be the material employed therein to produce by its
operation tubing or insulated wire.
While the improvements relating to the described functions of cooling and
adjusting the dies are particularly effective in connection with a lead-press having
the inclined wall in its die-chamber they may also be used advantageously in lead-
presses of different constructions; hence this invention is not limited to use with
the inclined-wall feature herein shown and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, & in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a lead-press, a die-chamber provided with the downwardly inclined inner
wall, the female die seated in a sleeve at the discharge-end of the die-chamber,
and a cold-water-supply channel leading to the circumference of said sleeve,
substantially as described.
2. In a lead-press, a die-chamber formed in a block having opposite openings for
receiving, respectively, the male and female dies, a sleeve confined in one of said
openings, a female die supported in said opening at the inner end of the sleeve,
and a cold-water-supply channel leading through said block and through the wall
of said sleeve to the said die, whereby cooling water is directed through the sleeve
against the female die and against the manufactured tubing as it emerges therefrom,
substantially as described.
3. In a lead-press, a die-chamber having the downwardly inclined inner wall, the

page_text: sleeve forming said inclined wall and the core-tube supported in the sleeve to
protrude beyond it into the die-chamber and to extend closer to the upper than
to the lower wall thereof, whereby the greater depth in said chamber is formed.
below the protruding end of the core-tube, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
4. In a lead-press, a die-chamber formed in a block having opposite openings.
for receiving, respectively, the male aud female dies, a sleeve F2 confined in one
of said openings and having a seat, at its inner end, for the female die and
provided with a circumferential channel o having openings o, the female die
seated in said sleeve, and passages n and m, for the supply and discharge of
cooling water, leading through said block respectively to and from said circum-
ferential channel, whereby-cooling water is directed through the sleeve against
the female die and against the manufactured tubing as it emerges therefrom,.
substantially as described.
5. In a lead-press, the supply-chamber comprising a hollow cylinder of metal
baving in the opposite ends of its wall recesses i and containing channels
and and covered by the caps h and h, vertical openings in said wall and
connected alternately at their opposite ends by said channels, an inlet leading into
the convoluted passage, formed by said connected openings, at the lower end of the
supply-chamber, and an outlet leading from said passage at the upper end of
said supply-chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a lead-press having a die-chamber containing the core-tube protruding at
its inner end beyond the dic-chamber wall, the combination with the core-tube of
a rotatably adjustable sleeve having an eccentric opening and removably seated in
the wall of the die-chamber, and a female die rotatably seated in the opening in.
said sleeve and provided with an eccentric opening, substantially as and for the.
purpose set forth.
7. In a lead press having a die-chamber containing the core-tube 1 protruding
at its inner end beyond the die-chamber wall, the combination with the core-tube
of a rotatably adjustable sleeve F2 having an eccentric opening and provided with a
scale g, and a female die K rotatably seated in the opening in said sleeve and.
provided with an index g', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 14th day of April 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant..