Improvements in the Machinery and Tools Employed for Manu- facturing by the Hot Process the Dies Used for Making Metal and other Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMI LEID DEPUITIVAITON.
Improvements in the Machinery and Tools Employed for Manu-
facturing by the Hot Process the Dies Used for Making Metal
and other Articles.
1, RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON, Engineer and Patent Agent, of 1 Rue Laffitte,
Paris, France 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:-
Within these last years, it has been seen in what manner dies for stamping and
other purposes can be obtained mechanically by the hot process, which work could
only be obtained formerly by the cold process, by means of hand engraving or
chiselling performed by skilled workmen.
The mechanical process consists in driving into a piece of hot steel, a male die
in-relievo, the reproduction of which it is desired to obtain intaglio, so as to form
a matrice by means of which it is possible to stamp articles of similar form, to the
male die. The steel is prevented from oxydising by excluding the air as long as the
operation lasts.
The present invention comprises a process and special machinery employed for that
purpose.
On sheet 1, fig. 1 is a front elevation and fig. 2 is a plan of the fall hammer
employed for driving the male die into the hot steel blank.
On sheet 2, fig. 3 is a perspective view, fig. 4 a sectional elevation of the device for
adjusting the die-blank and for holding it while the male die is being sunk into it.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the wedge belonging to the said device, Fig. 6 is a
front elevation, fig. 7 a side elevation and fig. 8 an underface view of fig. 6, showing,
on a larger scale than in fig. 1, the hammer 1 and its accessory parts. Fig. 9 & 10
show a setting device.
In fig. 1 and 2, sheet 1, 1 is the striking block let into the hammer 2 which is
capable of sliding up and down between standards 3 and is operated by a chain 4
connected to a winch 5 worked by hand or by power. To the striking block 1 is
secured, as hereinafter described, the male die 6 which drops down onto a bed 7 and is

page_text: driven into the hot steel blank 8, fig. 1, 3 and 4 for producing a die. The object of
the device secured to the block 2 is to prevent the hammer 2 from rebounding; by
thus arresting the hammer after its first blow, it is impossible that it can strike
a second time, which is an essential point for not damaging the impression produced
at the first blow. This device is composed of two arms 9, 9 pivotted at 10, 10 and
provided with teeth which gear into racks 11, 11 fixed to the standards 3, 3; it is
composed, furthermore, of a cylinder 12, secured on an axis 13 fitted in bearings 14, 14.
upon the axis 13 is slipped a spiral spring 15 which bears against a spring 17 each
end of which rests upon a projection of the arms 9 9.
The operation is as follows: the blow resulting from the contact of the male die 6
with the hot steel blank 8, when the hammer is allowed to fall, causes the cylinder 12
and its axis 13 to be lowered, at the same time compressing the spiral spring 15.
At the same time, the collar 16 presses upon the spring, which, in its turn, presses
down upon the projections of the arms 99 until the same are made to bear upon the
small diameter of the cylinder 12. The hammer and block rebound and as soon as
the rebounding has ceased, the teeth of the arms 99 are caused to gear into the
racks 11, 11 and the hammer 2 with its striking block 1 are arrested. In fig. 1, the
hammer is shown arrested after having rebounded; in fig. 6, the hammer has been
brought back to its original position, ready for operating.
The die-blank holder is shown in fig. 3 and 4; it is composed of a bed plate 7 held
by metal straps 18 and of two wedges 19, 19 fig. 5 which fit into the holes shown for
them in fig. 3. The blank 8 is held by keys 20, 20 and packing pieces 21, 21.
When the hot steel blank 8 is placed into the die-blank holder 7 fig. 4, it is
important that it should be in a proper line with the striking block 1; this operation
has not been effected hitherto otherwise than by hand and is difficult. I have
invented a device by which the position of the blank 8 with regard to the striking
block I can be determined with great facility. The said device is shown in fig. 9 in
front view and in side view in fig. 10, and is composed of a frame 22 provided with
two arms 23, 23 carrying an axis 24 having a right and left hand thread and onto
which are screwed two angle pieces 25, 26. 27 is a wrench or hand-wheel for causing
the axis 24 to rotate and thus cause the angle pieces 25, 26 to come together or to
separate. The length of the frame 22 is the same as that of the striking block 1, as
shown in fig. 7 and 9.
When it is desired to determine the position of a hot blank in the blank holder 7
the said device is placed, as in fig. 9, above the blank 8, fig. 4; the hammer is. there-
upon lowered, without any male die attached to it, until the lower surface of the
striking block comes in contact with the upper surface of the frame 22 and is in a line
therewith. The apparatus having been adjusted to the die space by rotating the
axis 24 until the outer surfaces of the angle pieces 25, 26 are as far apart as the
length of the blank 8, the die-blank is then placed in the space of the die holder and
then set and is in the proper position for being struck. When the blank is heated, it
can be put into place without any trouble.
Likewise, in order to secure the male die 6 to the striking block 1, in such a
manner that it presents itself centrally to the blank 8, I havo invented a special
device by which all trouble or bother is avoided. This device, shown applied against
the striking block 1, fig. 6 and 8, is composed of an angle piece 27* provided with
several adjustable strips or pieces 28, 29 and 30, made of wood or other suitable
material. The said pieces have a slot through which passes a set screw 31.
In order to make use of the said device, the male die 6 is first placed upon a block
of metal or wood etc., having a surface absolutely similar to that of the striking
block 1, then, when the male die has been properly adjusted upon the surface of this
former block, the angle piece 27* is placed against the said block, so that the
adjustable pieces 28, 29, 30 which shall have been previously loosened, bear against
the male die the screws 31 are thereupon tightened. The angle piece is removed;
the male die is likewise removed from this intermediate block and is placed against
the face of the striking block; its position under the said striking block, (corre
sponding to the intermediate block) is obtained by means of the angle piece.

page_text: Referring again to the die-blank holder 7 fig. 3 and 4, the bottom of the same has
a hole for receiving a square or other suitably shaped block of hardened steel 32
which receives the force of the blow and upon which the die-blank 8 is laid. The
die-blank 8 is held, as hereinbefore described, by an arrangement of wedges 19, 19
and packing pieces 20, 21, 21, 20. This arrangement allows the hardened steel
block 32 to be interchanged whenever required, whilst the remainder of the holder,
which can be of any suitable metal can be maintained. The hardened steel block 32
should present a somewhat larger surface than the larger size of die-blank to be
struck.
I shall describe an improved means for attaching the male die 6 to the striking
block 1. For this purpose, I employ a mixture of plaster of Paris and water or
its equivalent and apply a little against the under face of the striking block 1,
and afterwards place the male die, which then adheres. When the plaster is dry,
the male die will be attached and only be dislodged by the plaster breaking up
when the blow is given against the hot steel blank.
The male dies which I use are cast; they are either made of cast steel, cast iron
or made of cast iron toughened and stiffened by an addition of steel, preferably
chips or other waste steel, in the proportion of about 6 per cent. of steel chips to
94 per cent. of cast iron.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The hereinbefore described construction of die-blank holder shown in fig. 3
& 4, consisting of a main body 7 of any suitable metal provided with an inter-
changeable block of hardened stee! 32 for the purpose set forth.
2. The hereinbefore described construction of rebounding hammer shown in
fig. 1, 6 & 7, comprising two clicks or ratchets 99 pivotted at 10, 10 and held in
engagement with the racks 11, 11 by a spring 17, collar 16, spring 15 and rod 13,
whilst the said clicks are held apart, for the time being, by means of a cylinder 12
having a rim, as and for the purpose set forth.
1
3. The hereinbefore described device, shown in fig. 10 & 11, composed of a
frame 22, arms 23, 23 screwthreaded shaft 24, angle pieces 25, 26 for the purpose of
determining the exact position of the blank of hot steel in the die-blank holder 7
fig. 3 & 4.
4.-The herein before described device, shown in fig. 6 & 8, composed of an angle
piece 27x, provided with two or more adjustable strips 28, 29, 30, for the purpose of
setting the male die 6 to the striking block 1, as set forth.
5. The hereinbefore described employment of plaster of Paris or its equivalent,
for fixing the male die 6 to the striking block 1, as set forth.
6. A cast male die composed either of cast iron alone, steel alone, or of a mixture
of cast iron and steel, as above set forth, in connection with the hereinbefore described
process and machinery for making dies.
Dated this 18th day of February 1889.
R. H. BRANDON.
Per L. W.