IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE Of HORN-PLATES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June 1880. A communication
from abroad by Irénée Hennequin, of Paris, France.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE Of
HORN-PLATES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by
Irénée Hennequin, of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to the manufacture of horn-plates or guide plates for the
axle-boxes of railway vehicles, and which are ordinarily made somewhat in the form
shewn in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, the central portion
of each horn-plate in which the axle-box slides is made in the form of a reversed
arch, having a rounded portion A, B, and two vertical pieces A, C, B, D ; to this central
portion arms or extensions E, F, G, H, are added to complete the horn-plate. In
the ordinary process of manufacture the central portion is forged as a separate
piece, and the arms or extensions are welded thereto. The welding is not always
perfect, and is disadvantageous both with regard to strength and appearance.
According to this Invention I obviate the disadvantages resulting from the mode
of manufacture above described, by making the whole of the horn-plate in one piece,
thereby avoiding all welding, and at the same time keeping the grain of the iron
in such a direction as to produce the best results.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide iron bars or pieces, which
are specially made for the purpose of this Invention by laminating rollers, these
bars of iron being so manufactured that they may be divided into several sections,
similar to the one shewn in Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawing. This piece or
bar of iron is flat, and of the same width throughout. There is a straight groove
along a portion of its length, and this groove extends completely through the
metal. The part A, B, is thicker than the remainder of the bar, and its transverse
section is of a trapezoidal form, as shewn in Figure 4, which is a section through
the centre of the piece. The metal at the points E and G is also of increased
thickness.
To form a horn-plate of this piece or bar, the parts I and K, indicated by section
lines in Figure 2, are removed; then the bar is divided from the groove to the edge
along the dotted line between F and H, Figure 2. Then the parts E and G are
heated, and the portions E, F, and G, H, are separated in such a manner as to

page_text: occupy the positions shewn in Figure 3. The extra thickness of the points E and G,
Figure 2, provides the metal for the increase of surface produced at these points
by the extension of the arms, as shewn in Figure 3, and thus the thickness of the
bar at these points becomes the same as at the other parts thereof.
The piece having been thus forined, the part A, B, is then curved by means of a
suitable tool in such a manner that the portions A, C, and B, D, become parallel,
and thus the horn-plate represented in Figure 1 is obtained, excepting that it is
necessary to slightly bend the ends F and H of the parts E, F, and G, H, which
form the arms or extensions. The extra thickness of a trapezoidal sectional form of
the part A, B, is provided for the purpose of furnishing the metal necessary for the
elongation of the exterior circumference of the curved part. This extra thickness
is so calculated that the curved part will be of the same thickness throughout as
the rest of the horn-plate.
It will be understood that the total length and width of each bar, the normal
thickness, the length and the section of the parts which are thicker at certain points,
and the length and width of the groove may all be varied according to the form
and dimensions of the horn-plate to be manufactured.