Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1888
I WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN of "The Hawthorns" Newport Road Stafford in the
county of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention is more particularly applicable to that class of forging machines
which operate by means of four hammers.
The bar of iron from which the nail or other article is to be forged is held fast and
stationary while the hammers are operating on it, it is then released and drawn back
from the hammers to bring the forging opposite the cutting off shears, the forging is
cut off and the bar is brought forward again to the hammers and the required length
for another forging is fed forward. The hammers are made to commence at the point
of the bar, and gradually travel along as far as the length of the forging requires,
and then to gradually retire, in the course of the double travel the forging is
completed.
The four hammers which act in pairs alternately as is usual in machines of this
class, are mounted on a frame which slides along the bed of the machine and by means
of a cam on the main shaft is made to travel along the bar as far as the forging is
desired to extend, the hammers gradually reducing the bar to shape, in the course of
the movement. As soon as the extremity of the travel is reached the slide gradually
returns, the hammers still hammering the partially forged nail, until the frame reaches
the point it started from. The nail or other article is partially reduced to shape by
the forward motion of the hammers & the process is completed as they return.
The sliding hammer frame is connected to the cam by means of a rocking lever
which is pivotted to the main frame of the machine and is furnished with a cam roller
working in the cam groove, a connecting rod couples the rocking lever to the sliding
frame.
The bar is held fast by means of a pair of jaws which are mounted on a bracket
carried on the main frame or machine bed and which are worked from a cam on the
main shaft by means of a cam lever and roll which operate a toggle joint by which the

page_text: The cam is so timed as to cause the jaws to grip the bar immediately it has been
fed forward and to hold it firmly all the time the hammers are acting upon it. The
forging being fully completed the jaws open & allow the bar to be drawn back.
The jaws adjust the bar horizontally in relation to the hammers but to regulate its
position vertically, I use a lever or finger placed under the bar and mounted on a
rocking shaft which is carried on the bracket, on which the jaws are mounted. The
finger is worked from a cam on the main shaft by means of a lever and cam roll, on
the end of the rocking shaft.
The cam is so timed, and the finger adjusted that it rises and lifts the bar exactly to
the right height immediately after it has been fed forward and holds it until the jaws
close and grip it. The finger then falls down again.
The shear blades are mounted on the same bracket that carries the jaws, and the
finger, and are worked by a lever from a projection on a cam on the main shaft.
The mechanism by which the bar is fed forward, is combined with, and forms part
of that which draws the bar back to the shears, and forward again to the hammers.
This apparatus consists of a pair of rollers geared together, that hold the bar tightly
grasped between them, mounted on a frame that slides along the bed of the machine.
The frame is made to travel backwards and forwards by means of levers and connecting
rod, receiving motion in the usual way from a cam on the main shaft. The amount of
movement is sufficient to draw back the forging after it is completed, from the
haminers, until the point at which it is to be cut off is opposite the shears.
After the forging is cut off, the slide moves forward again, carrying the bar still
grasped between the rollers. As the slide moves forward, a lever, which hangs down
from the axis of the lower roller, and is furnished with a pawl that takes into a ratchet
fixed on the axis of the roller, strikes against an adjustable stop on the bed of the
machine, and causes the rollers to partially revolve, and feed forward the bar, the
required distance.
It may sometimes be required to forge one or more sides of an article, taper.
I effect this by making the pivots on which the hammer levers oscillate, movable in
slides, so that they can be moved either towards or away from the common centre of
the hammer pivots; then, if one or more of the pivots be caused to move in one or
the other direction, while the operation of forging is going on, the articles will be
forged taper on one or more sides.
The automatic movement of the hammer pivots can be effected by various well
known methods, one of which is, to place wedges under the hammer lever pivots, and
connect them to a cam on the shaft of the machine, in such a manner that they are
gradually drawn in or out as the hammers advance along the iron during the
operation of forging, and so cause the hammer lever pivots to approach or recede
from one another.
11
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1000

page_text: Used in Forging Horse Nails.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford, in the
county of Stafford 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 :-
This invention consists of a Forging Machine which operates on what is known as
the "four hammer" principle that is to say, it is constructed with four hammers so
disposed that their faces are opposite to each other & similar to the four sides of a
rectangle; the two opposite hammer faces form a pair & strike at the same moment
on the opposite sides of the iron to be forged, and the two pairs of hammers act
alternately.
The four faces are shaped so as to produce the form desired on each of the four
sides of the article forged respectively. The iron is used in the form of rods or bars
which are fed automatically in to the hammers. After the nail or other article is
forged, the forging is automatically cut off the bar.
The iron is heated during its passage through the machine on the way to the
hammers.
The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is an end view.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Figs. 4. 5. 6 & 10 are separate views of the shears, holding jaws, & finger
movements.
Figs. 7 & 8 shew a modification of the feed & drawback movements.
Fig. 9 is a section of the frame.
Fig. 10 shews the arrangement for forging taper articles.
In the above named Figures the same letters refer to the same parts.
The machine consists of a main Frame A which carries the shafts & gearing, and
upon which are mounted the several movements, namely:-The Hammer mechanism
for forging the nails. The Drawback and feed movement for supplying the iron to
the forging hammers. The furnace-The bar-holding Jaws and the shears, and the
bar adjusting finger.
The Hammer mechanism comprises a frame, b, a hammer shaft, b, Hammer
levers F, F, excentric rods F1, and Hammers a, a'. The frame, b, which runs upon
the main frame A carries the hammer shaft, b₁, in bearings 62. It is driven from
each end by the two band pulleys 63. On the shaft 6' are formed two excentrics, 64 b²,
which work the side hammers a', a', and two others 68, 68, at right angles to them,
which work the top & bottom hammers a, u¹.

page_text: The levers F. F. that work the top & bottom hammers & those F2 F2 that work
the side hammers are pivotted upon the frame, b
The levers F are double armed,
one of the arms of each, bears upon the end of one of the hammers a, a¹, and the
other arm of each lever is connected to its respective excentric, 65, on the shaft 1, by
one of the excentric rods F1 F1. The ends of the excentric rods F F that connect
with the levers F. F. are formed with ball joints. The levers F2 F2 that work the
side hammers a¹ a¹ are bell-cranks pivotted to the frame, b, at ff, and are worked
by the excentrics 4,, to which they are connected by the excentric rods F³ F³.
These excentric rods are made with universal ball joint connections.
The hammer faces are of chilled cast iron, and are of the shape respectively that
each of the four sides of the nail is intended to bear. They are formed on the ends
of the hammers a, a, a', a', which move in bearings formed for them in the frame, b.
The hammers are furnished with collars that take against the spiral springs a³ a³ a³ a³
contained in the chambers around the hammer spindles in the frame, b.
The springs a³, are of tension sufficient to keep the bammers apart whenever they
(the hammers) are not forced together by the movement of the excentrics 64, 65. The
effect of this spring action is to cause the various parts of the train of mechanism
from the hammer spindles to excentrics to remain in contact, and, notwithstanding
the rapid reciprocation of the movement of the parts, to cause the whole to work
without backlash.
The shaft, b, being caused to revolve, it is evident that the movement of the
excentrics 6, 64, will cause the hammers to which they are respectively connected,
alternately to approach to, and recede from each other; and, that, as the excentrics bbs,
are at right angles to 6, 6, when the hammers operated by approach, those operated
by will recede & vice-versa.
The
The hammer frame, b, works on rollers on the hammer slides A' A' formed on the
frame A and is coupled to the levers M. M' by the connecting rods m, m.
Levers M. Mare mounted on the shaft m' which works in bearings on the main
frame A. The lever M is a bell-crank, and its arm M2 is furnished with a cam
roll m², which runs in the cam groove formed in the main cam L. The revolution
of the main cam L thus causes the hammer mechanism to move backwards and
forwards on the slides A¹.
The form of the cam groove being such as to cause the movement of the hammers
to take place at the proper time, as regards the other moving parts of the machine to
Le hereafter described.
The bar of iron Z under operation, is held firmly in the holding jaws e, e, during
the whole time the hammers are acting upon it.
These jaws are mounted in a slide on the frame K, and are actuated by the knee
joint connection k, the centre pin of which is coupled by the connecting rod k¹, to the
lever . The opening of the jaws is adjusted by the set screw kº.
The lever is pivotted to the main frame A at ³, and is provided with a cam
roll, that works upon the circumferential cam path formed on the main cam L.
The lever k² is kept in contact with the cam L by the spring ko.
The jaws e, 'e, are thus alternately opened and closed at the proper times, by the
revolution of the cam L, and the pressure of the spring k³.
Upon the frame K are also mounted the shears for cutting off the nail from the
bar, as soon as the orging operation is completed. The fixed shear blade O. is fixed
to the frame K by a screwpin and is set up to its work by a set screw.
The moving blade, O¹, is carried on a slide 02 which works in a chase formed for it
in the frame K.
The slide O2 is formed with a notch in which works the suitably formed end of the
doubled armed lever 03 which is pivotted to the frame K.
The opposite end of the lever ³ is formed with a
cain piece, n, formed upon the face of the drawback cam N.
bearing piece to take upon the
The lever 03 is kept in contact with the cam N, by the plate spring, n' (fixed on
the frame K.) which causes the shears to open immediately the cam piece n has
passed the lever 0.

page_text: To make a well formed nail, it is necessary to forge it centrally with the bar, as
otherwise, the head is liable to be one sided. To secure this result, it is necessary to
present the bar precisely in the right position to the hammers.
The due adjustment of the position of the holding jaws e, e, effects this with regard
to the side hammers a¹, a', but to place the bar correctly for the top & bottom
hammers a, a, the finger X is used.
The finger X is formed on the shaft X which is carried by the frame K. On one
end of the shaft X is mounted the lever X2 formed with a slotted end, into which a
pin in one end of the double armed lever X takes. The lever X is pivotted to the
frame K, and its opposite end is fitted with a cam roll & pin which works on the
circumferential can path n³ on the drawback cam N, and is actuated by the cam
projection n².
The cam N is so timed that immediately before the jaws e, e, close & grip the bar,
the projection, comes round, and acting on the lever X, raises the finger X & lifts
& holds up the bar in its proper position in relation to the hammers a, a, until the
jaws have closed, & hold it fast--the projection, ³, then passes away from the lever X+,
and the spring X which keeps the lever X in contact with the cam, returns the
finger to its former position.
The jaws e, e, that hold the bar while it is being forged, being situated between the
hammers and the shears, the head of the nail is formed at a point distant from the
shears.
In order therefore to cut off the newly forged nail with a head of proper length, it
is necessary to draw back the bar, so as to bring the desired cutting off point opposite
the shears.
This movement as well as the supply of iron to the hammers, is effected in the
following manner :-
At the end of the frame A opposite to the Hammers B, is situated the Drawback
and Feed mechanism C, consisting of a Frame R which moves backwards and
forwards on the slide A2 formed on the main frame A. The top feed roll S and the
bottom feed roll S' are mounted on spindles carried in the frame R.
The top feed roll S which is fluted and of hardened steel, works in bearings which
are forced down by the pressure springs T. T. that cause it to grip the bar Z, firmly
against the bottom roll S¹.
The bottom feed roll S' is formed with a groove in it, to receive the bar Z, and
guide it sideways. It is carried on the spindle, t, which runs in bearings formed in
the frame R.
The feed roll spindles are geared together by the toothed wheels S2². On the end of
the spindle, t, is mounted the ratchet wheel, t', and the double armed pawl lever Y
which carries on one end the pawls y, which takes into the teeth of the ratchet t'.
On the main frame A is mounted the adjustable stop W. As the frame R slides
backwards & forwards as presently to be described, the tail y of the pawl Lever Y,
takes against the stop W, and by adjusting the degree of projection of the Stop W,
the pawl lever is made to take more or fewer teeth of the ratchet t' at a stroke, and
so turn the feed rolls more or less & feed the bar Z forward a greater or less
distance.
The movement of the frame R is obtained from the main shaft V by means of the
drawback cam N.
The Lever P which is mounted on the end of the shaft P1, is provided with a cam
roll, h, that works on the circumferential cam path N¹ formed on the cam N. The
shaft Pis carried in bearings on the main frame A. On the middle of this
shaft P¹ is mounted the lever 12 which is coupled to the frame It by the connecting
rod P2. The cam path is so formed and timed that, immediately the shears have
re-opened after cutting off the newly formed nail, the lever P comes into operation,
and draws forward the frame R carrying with it the bar Z.
This movement of the frame R brings the tail of the pawl lever Y into contact with
the adjustable stop W.

page_text: The lever P is kept in contact with the cam N, by the drawback spring P³ which
forces back the sliding frame R as soon as the contour of the cam-path Nt will allow
it, and so effects the drawback of the bar above mentioned.
Figs. 7 & 8 shew an alternative method of working the drawback & feed mechanism,
the object of which is to leave the bar of iron Z free to expand or contract while being
held by the Jaws e e, & operated on by the hammers a a¹. The cam N in Fig. 7 has
upon the backside of it a cam piece g, & is formed with a clearance notch ³, and a
projecting part 1 to g².
These parts, i.e. the cam piece g & the projection g¹ to g² are the only parts of the
cam N that operate in the feed & drawback movements.
The lever P is made a bell crank, being furnished with an additional arm Pr and
roll p¹, upon which the cam piece g, acts.
The connecting rod P2 Fig. 7 & 8 is made with a cross piece, which bears upon
two springs, carried on Studs in the frame R, and the joint pin hole in the end
of the rod P2 is slotted to allow of a little sliding motion on the joint pin, when the
springs yield on the contact of the stop piece j of the frame R with the stop
nuts The adjustment of the stop nuts 1 regulates the amount of drawing back of
the rod Z, and so governs the length of the head of the nail. A Hook piece 3 strikes
against the end of the rod j² (adjustable by means of the nuts 1"), when the frame R is
at the inward end of its travel. The operation of this mechanism is as follows:-
The hammering being finished & the forging ready to cut off, and the jaws e e
having released their hold upon the bar Z, the cam N revolving in the direction of the
arrow, brings the cam piece g, attached to it into contact with the roll p¹, & by means
of the arm p, shaft P¹, lever N2, rod P2, & springs 22, pushes back the frame R until
the stop, strikes against the nuts j¹. The cam roll, , enters the clearance notch h¹,
during the time the cam piece 9, is acting upon the roll pl. While the cam piece g is
acting on the lever p, the shears o, o cut off the nail. The projecting part g¹ then
comes into contact with the roll, h, & moves forward the frame R, causing the feed
rolls S. S¹, to feed forward the bar Z.
The portion of the cam N. from g₁ to g² retains the frame R in position until the
jaws e e have closed upon the bar Z, the cam then releases the frame R, which is then
only held by the grip of the feed rolls S. S¹ on the bar Z, and consequently is free to
adapt itself to any movement of the bar Z.
The various movements of the machine excepting the actuating of the hammers are
obtained by means of the cams Land N, as already described, from the main shaft V
upcn which they are both mounted. The main shaft V is carried in bearings on the
main frame A, and upon one end of it, alongside the cam L is fixed the spur wheel Y¹
into which gears the pinion Y2 mounted upon the pulley shaft Y³. The pulley
shaft Y3 is also carried in bearings on the main frame, and upon its end are mounted
the driving pulleys Y¹.
The difference of the speeds at which the pulley shaft Y³, and the hammer shaft 61
respectively revolve, renders it more convenient to run the hammer shaft off a separate
countershaft.
The Hammer shaft should run, say from fifty to an hundred times as fast as the
pulley shaft.
The Furnace D is lined with fire-brick, or other suitable refractory material, and
the heat is obtained from a series of Gas blow pipe jets of ordinary construction
U being the blast pipe and U¹ the pipe conveying the gas. The furnace is sufficiently
long and the jets numerous enough to heat the bar to a sufficient degree during its
passage through the furnace to the hammers. The iron may be used of as great
length as can be conveniently handled, and in the form of a coil, and when once set
going the operation may go on without cessation until the coil is used up.
The operation of the whole mechanism is as follows:-
The furnace having been lighted up & allowed to reach a sufficiently high tempera-
ture a bar of iron of suitable size is introduced between the feed-rollers and the
machine is set in motion--By the time the action of the feed movement has propelled

page_text: the end of the bar all through the furnace, the iron will be sufficiently hot to forge.
The continuing action of the machine will carry the iron through the shears and
holding jaws until it comes within range of the hammers, when a nail is forged, cut
off, and the bar fed forward, & another nail forged, and so on.
To describe now the operations in detail. Immediately the nail is cut off, the
shears 00', open, the cam piece, n, being made of a shape to act very rapidly.
The cam N is so timed that, directly the shears have opened, it begins to draw the
feed mechanism C, and with it the bar Z, grasped between the feed rolls, S S', in
towards the hammers, in the course of its movement, it brings the tail of the pawl
lever Y into contact with the adjustable stop W.
The retention of the tail of the pawl lever Y by the stop W during the forward
movement of the mechanism C causes the feed rolls to revolve, and feed forward
the bar.
By the time the motion of the feed-mechanism Chas ceased, a sufficient length of the
bar will have been fed forward, and the iron will be in a position to be again acted
on by the hammers. Immediately the iron comes to rest, the finger X rises, and lifts
the bar into its proper position--The jaws e, e', then immediately close and hold the
bar, and the finger X drops back into its ordinary position. In the meantime, the
hammers have been slowly advancing, so that as soon as the bar is firmly grasped by
the jaws, the forging begins.
The Hammers continue to advance until they almost touch the jaws, and then
gradually recede, thus subjecting the iron to a continuous hammering both while the
hammers advance and while they retire. As soon as the hammers have receded, the
movement of the mechanism C, actuated by the cam N, re-commences, but in the reverse
direction, and the bar is drawn back until the head of the newly forged nail is opposite
the shears the shears then immediately come into action, and cut off the nail which
falls into a receptacle below, and the series of operations re-commence.
It may sometimes be required to forge one or more sides of an article, taper, and
for this purpose, I plan the pivots f on which the hammer levers oscillate in blocks c¹
moveable in slides d, so that they can be moved either towards or away from the
common centre of the hammer pivots, then, if one or more of the pivots be caused
to move in one or the other direction while the operation of forging is going on the
article will be forged taper on one or more sides. The automatic movement of the
hammer pivots can be effected by various mechanical methods, one of which is shewn
in Fig. 11.
I place wedges c to act upon the blocks c which are moveable in the slides d, and
supported on the springs e².
The wedges c are connected by the rods to the sliding frame d' which is carried
on a slide projecting from the hammer frame b. The sliding frame d' is coupled
to a lever q which is pivotted at q². On the cam shaft V is fitted a cam 73 which
acts upon a lever, r, pivotted at r. The lever is coupled to the lever by the
rod 2.
If then the cam q³ is so formed that it moves the lever, and sliding frame d',
in exact conformity with the movement of the hammer frame, then no movement
will be imparted to the wedges, and the machine will forge parallel.
But, if the form of the cam be varied, motion will be imparted to the wedges,
and the hammer-lever pivots will be made to approach or recede from one another,
& the form of the forging varied accordingly.
In this invention I do not confine myself to the use of four hammers.
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-
In a
forging machine for forging horse nails or other articles as hereinbefore
described.
First. The haminers mounted on a frame which travels to and fro-in the manner
and for the purpose described.

page_text: are acting on it.
Third. The use of a lever or finger which lifts the iron into its proper position
until the jaws have gripped it, and then falls back out of the way.
Fourth. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to & fro--with the
holding jaws.
Fifth. The combination of the finger or lever for lifting the iron into position with
the holding jaws.
Sixth. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to and fro, and the
holding jaws with the finger or lever for lifting the iron into position.
Seventh. The construction of the holding jaws ee working in a slide in the frame K
and worked by the knee joint connection and the lever and the cam L.
Eighth. The combination of the holding jaws working in a slide with a knee joint
connection a cam lever and a cam for the purpose described.
Ninth. The construction of the finger or lever X for lifting the iron into position
n the holding jaws formed on the shaft X1 and the system of levers and the cam that
operates it.
Tenth. The combination of a finger for lifting the iron into position in the holding
jaws with a cam lever and cam.
Eleventh. The construction of the shearing mechanism consisting of the horizontally
moving slide carrying the moving shear blade, the fixed shear blade, the lever 03, the
cam pieces formed on the face of the cam N, and the spring for opening the shears
after the cam piece n has passed the lever.
Twelfth. The combination of the horizontally moving shear blade, the fixed shear
blade with the actuating lever, the swiftly acting cam piece and the spring.
Thirteenth. The combination of the forging hammers, travelling to and fro, and the
holding jaws, the finger for adjusting the iron in position with the shears.
the
Fourteenth. The construction of the feed and draw back mechanism consisting of
the frame R. the feed rolls, the ratchet, the pawl lever, the adjustable stop W,
lever and shaft and the cam N and the adjusting rod and stop nuts.
Fifteenth. The alternative construction of the feed and draw back movement shewn
in Figs. 7 and 8 consisting of separate cam pieces to actuate the inward and outward
motions of the frame R respectively-the connecting red with the cross piece-the
springs on the frame R, the slotted joint pin hole the stop piece and the adjusting
stop nuts.
Sixteenth. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to & fro--and the
holding jaws and the shears-with the feed and draw back movement.
Seventeenth. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to and fro-and
the holding jaws and the shears with the alternative construction of the feed and draw
back movement shewn in Figs. 7 and 8.
Eighteenth. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to & fro and the
holding jaws, the shears, the feed and draw back movement with the furnace for
heating the iron.
Nineteenth. The use of mechanism for causing the pivots of the hammer levers to
approach or recede from their common centre during the process of forging in order
to produce taper or partially taper forgings.
Twentieth. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to and fro, the holding
jaws & the shears with the hammer lever pivots furnished with mechanism to cause
them to approach or recede from their common centre.
Twenty-first. The combination of the forging hammers travelling to and fro, the
holding jaws the shears, the finger, the feed and draw back movement, and the furnace
for heating the iron with the hammer lever pivots constructed so as to be made to
approach or recede from their common centre.
Twenty-second. The mechanism as shewn in Fig. 11 for automatically causing the
hammer lever pivots to approach or recede from their common centre.
Twenty-third. In a Forging Machine for forging horse nails & other articles, in
which the iron is held stationary by automatically-acting gripping jaws or other

page_text: equivalent mechanism, giving the hammers besides their rapid reciprocating motion
a movement advancing along & receding from the iron, while it is so held, so as
gradually to forge it to the form desired.
Twenty-fourth. In a Forging Machine, as above described, for forging horse nails
& other articles, in which the iron is forged by rapidly reciprocating hammers which
advance along & recede from the iron. Holding the iron to be forged, by automatically-
acting gripping jaws or other equivalent mechanism in close proximity to the part to
be worked upon during the time the hammers are acting upon it.
Twenty-fifth. In a Forging Machine as above described for forging horse nails &
other articles, in which the iron is forged by rapidly reciprocating hammers which
advance along & recede from the iron while it is being forged & in which the iron is
held during the action of the hammers upon it, by automatically-acting gripping jaws
or equivalent mechanism. The use of a lever or finger to lift the iron into its place
between the gripping jaws.
Twenty-sixth. For the purpose of forging horse nails & other articles taper, on one
or more sides or part taper & part parallel in a Forging Machine in which the iron is
forged by rapidly reciprocating hammers, which advance along & recede from the
iron while it is being forged & in which the iron is held during the action of the
hammers upon it by automatically-acting gripping jaws or equivalent mechanism.
Causing the pivots on which the hammer levers oscillate to approach or recede from
their common centre during the process of forging.
Twenty-seventh. A Forging Machine for forging horse nails & other articles
consisting of hammers made to advance along the iron & recede from it, and of
gripping jaws to hold the iron while it is being forged, and of a finger lever to lift
the iron into its place, and of automatically-acting shears, and of a drawback & feed
movement and a furnace for heating the iron.
Didth: 10th low of Tul., 1000