IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AXLETREES FOR ROAD CARRIAGES, AND SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: Carriages and smar отстов,
I, JOHN GEORGE HARRISON No 11, Noel Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Manager.
of Works do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF AXLETREES FOR ROAD CARRIAGES, AND SIMILAR VEHICLES to be
as follows:
I propose making the body or bed of axletree as is usual with ordinary carriage
axletrees of a number of small bars of iron and which bundling together is called
“faggotting” by axletree makers-I put the "faggott" together made up to a size
suitable for my purpose and having heated the " faggott" to a proper heat for...
welding I place it while at this heat between two dies which are worked in a
steam hammer, drop stamp, or other similar machine, these dies having two balls or
ball shaped recesses cut or sunk therein at any distance from each other that I may
decide The two ball shaped recesses sunk in each of the dies are connected by a
channel which I cut through them both, and this channel is also cut from each ball
shaped recess to the end of die, and runs out at each end.
When the "faggott" is placed between these dies at a welding heat and the dies
are worked by the steam hammer or stamp I continualy turn the "faggott" in the
dies until the part of "faggott" that has been forced into the channel shall have
taken the shape and size of the channel and the part that is worked by or at the
recessed part of the dies will have been forced to correspond with the ball shaped
recesses cut or sunk in the dies.
I propose making the "faggott" of plain straight rods of iron without using
shorter pieces that are called in the axletree trade "splices," and wedges, but may
use these if desirable-The size I most prefer for putting the "faggott" together.
would be between the sizes of the channel and the ball shaped recesses, that is of
a greater size than the diameter of the channels and of a smaller size than the
diameter of the ball shaped recesses-When the " 'faggott" had been shaped in
these dies it would in a measure take the form of a dumb bell with tails or spindles
of unequal length sticking out beyond each ball of such dumb bell each tail or
spindle being of about the same diameter as the centre connection of the dumb bell
to which I, for illustration liken my invention in this stage.
My next process is to again heat the spindle or shaft which I have just described
to a welding heat and place it between another pair of dies having the collar of the

page_text: axle, the bed of the axletree, and the flap of the axletree cut or sunk therein-The
part of the axletree that I call the collar is that part against which the wheel of
the carriage runs, works, or wears, or takes its bearing, and which prevents the
wheel working too close to the side of the carriage-The part of the axletree that
I call the flap is that part which projects and stands out on each side of the axle-
tree bed and is so formed as a convenient method or means whereby to attatch the
axletree to the springs of the carriage—The part of the axletree that I call the bed
is all and every part of the axletree besides the collar and the flap-When I place
the spindle or shaft having the two balls shaped thereon in the second pair of dies
I place one of the balls in the part that is cut in the dies to form the collar, and the
other ball is laid in the part that is cut out to form the flap and the part that was
formed in the channels takes that place in the dies which I have cut out a desirable
shape for an axletree bed-When the steam hammer or stamp is brought to work
while the metal is at a proper heat the one ball will easily be driven to the shape
of the axletree collar and the second one will spread over the sides of dies and form
the flap while the bed of the axletree will be formed into proper shape at the same
time I do not propose in all cases making the axletree its full length as described
but may finish off the ends in the ordinary tools and by the usual means, and my
invention only applies to the formation of the collar and flap of the axletree out of
the same pieces of iron that form the bed of the axletree, and the method I adopt
to effect that purpose-The collar of the axletree is usually a piece of iron wrapped
round the "faggott" and welded there, and the flap is a short piece of iron welded
across the bed of the axletree and both are frequently a source of weakness in the
axletree.
I claim as new my method of forming balls on a shaft or spindle out of the bars
which form the beds of axletrees, and afterwards finishing the axletrees to the
desired shape in other dies, thus having no welds or cross weldings in the axletree
and so greatly adding to the strength and durability of the axletrees.
:

page_text: Carriages and similar Vehicles.
I, JOHN GEORGE HARRISON of Noel Road Edgbaston Birmingham Manager
of Works do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF AXLE TREES FOR ROAD CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
The object of my invention is the production of axle trees for wheeled vehicles
without welds or cross weldings; that is, making the collar, bed and flap of axle-
trees in one piece.
In carrying out my invention, I propose making the body or bed of axletrees as
is usual with ordinary carriage axletrees of a number of small bars or rods of iron
bundled together; and which bundling together is called "faggotting" by axletree
makers. I put the "faggott" together made up to a size suitable for my purpose,
and having heated the "faggott" to a proper heat for welding, I place it while at
this heat between two dies (upper and lower) which are worked in conjunction
with a steam hammer, drop stamp or other similar machine. These dies have
formed within them ball shaped recesses cut or sunk therein at any suitable
distance from each other, according to the form of axletree to be made. The two
ball shaped recesses are in communication with each other by a channel or neck,
which besides connecting the ball recesses, extends outwardly to the ends of
the dies.
When the faggott is placed and worked between these dies at a welding heat,.
I continually turn the said faggott until a portion of the metal thereof has been
forced into the cavities of the dies, thereby producing upon the middle of the
faggott a counterpart of the die recesses and channels.
I propose making the faggott of square rods or bars of iron, without using
shorter pieces which are known in the axletree trade as "splices and wedges
although if necessary these said splices and wedges may be used.
A
The size or girth of the faggott I propose to employ in the making of an axle
tree, is between the sizes of the channel or channels, and the ball shaped recesses
in the dies; that is, the faggott is greater in diameter than the channels, but of
less diameter than the ball shaped recesses; so that on the faggott baving been
shaped between dies as above stated, the middle part of the faggott will resemble.
or take the form of a dumb-bell, with tails or spindles of an equal length proceeding
outwardly from each bulbous portion.
The next process is to again heat the spindle or shaft and the bulbous portions
described to a welding heat, and then place the same again between another pair
of dies, having cavities or sunken parts corresponding to the collar, bed and flap of
the axletree to be made.
The part of the axletree which is known as the collar is that part against which
the wheel of a carriage runs or takes its bearing, for preventing the wheel of a
vehicle from coming too close to the side of a carriage.
,

page_text: The part called the bed is the whole of the axletree with the exception of the
collar and flap. The flap is that part which projects and stands out on each side
of the axletree bed, and is the means whereby the springs of a carriage are connected
to the axle.
When I place the spindle or shaft having the two ball shaped protuberances
thereon in the second pair of dies, I place one of the balls or swells in that part cut
in the dies to form the collar, while the other ball or swell is laid in the other
recessed part which is to form the flap, and that part of the axletree formed within
the channels makes the bed.
On the steam hammer being brought to work, while the metal is at a proper
heat, the one ball will easily be fashioned to the shape of the collar, and the second
ball will flow or spread itself into the interstices of the flap portions of the dies so
as to form the flaps, while the bed of the axle-tree will be formed into proper shape
at the same time that the collars and flaps are made.
I do not propose in all cases making the axletree of its full length by the process
of stamping as described, as the spindles or the outside shafts or parts proceeding
from the collar and flaps, may be drawn out by ordinary drawing down tools or
other expedients-Thus in other words, I take a faggotted blank of wrought iron,
of a length somewhat less than that of an axle to be made, and of a thickness
greater than the bed, and less than the collar of the said axletree-I heat the blank
to a welding heat, and by means of a stamp and suitably shaped dies, I operate
upon the middle of the blank, so as to give it somewhat the figure of an axletree
bed with two adjacent bulb like protuberances-These protuberances are created
to form the collar and spring bearing flaps-I then reheat the operated upon blank,
and again by means of a second pair of suitably shaped dies, (that when brought
together, they are nearly of the exact counterpart of the axletree) I then give the
blank the general figure of an axletree by the percussive action of a stamp, which
forces the metal when in a soft state, into the interstices or hollows of the dies-
The roughly made axletree thus formed, has fins or web like attachments running
along the middle and. in the longer direction of the axletree-These fins are
removed by clipping dies, and the axle-tree finally perfected by turning and
filing.
.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which the same is to be performed,―
Figure 1 represents in plan, (of lower side) an axletree made according to my
invention, in which the collar, flaps and bed are made from out of the same piece
of metal without welds or cross weldings.
In carrying out my invention, I take a series of square bars, and when faggotted
together as in figure 2, they form a blank figure 3, shorter and thicker than an
axle tree to be made-I heat the said blank to a welding heat, and by means of a
stamp and suitably shaped dies, (with sunken parts or cavities of the counterpart
of figure 4) I operate upon the middle part of the blank, so as to give it somewhat
the figure of an axle bed a, with two adjacent bulb like protuberances b, c, as
represented at figure 4; this operation which I call the balling up process is simply
the accumulation of metal at two adjacent parts, and from which said accumu-
lations the collar and spring bearing flaps are made; that is, the collar of the
axletree is made from the bulbous part b, while the flaps are made from the part c-
Figure 5 represents a part section of the said blank.
I then reheat the partly operated upon blank figure 4, and by means of a second
pair of dies, (shaped to the counterpart of an axle-tree to be made) I then give the
fashioned blank the general figure of an axletree by placing the blank when at a
welding heat, upon the bottom die, when the upper die is brought down upon it
the required number of times; by which means, the heated and soft metal is
gradually forced into every part, or into the interstices of the dies, which gives the
figure or a partly made axletree of the kind represented in plan at figure 6, and
edge view at figure 7.

page_text: In the forming of the roughly formed axletree figure 6, the upper and lower dies
do not come into direct contact, the distance between the meeting faces being equal
to the thickness of the web d.
The superfluous metal or web d is removed by a pair of clipping tools.
The axletree ends are drawn down or reduced by any suitable drawing down
expedients, when an axletree figure 1 is thereby produced, with a bed a, collar b,
and spring bearing (corked) flaps c, all made solid, and from one piece of metal,
without welds or cross weldings.
Figure 8 represents in plan of under side, and figure a plan of upper side,
another form of axletree (with butterfly flaps) made according to my invention-
Figure 10 is a transverse section on the dotted lines A B figure 8, and figure 11
shows another form of axletree, of which figure 12 is a transverse section.
Figure 13 represents in side elevation, and figure 14 in plan, a cranked axletree
made according to my invention, in which the spring bearing flaps are fetched up
at the junction of the crank part, with the straight part of the bed, next to the
collar.
In the making of Collinge axletrees, or where a superabundance of metal is
required to produce an enlarged collar, I add a supplementary coil or splice of
metal to the bulbous part, which are both fashioned together, in the subsequent
process of making the collar.
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:-
Making or forming axletrees from a single piece or length of wrought iron or
other suitable metal, or from a faggotted blank, operated upon in succession by a
pair of shaping dies worked in a stamp; that is, first balling the blank, secondly
shaping the balled blank into the form of an axletree, and afterwards clipping the
axletree thus formed of all superfluous metal, by the process or combination of
processes and tools herein described and set forth; whereby the bed, collar and
flaps of an axletree are made solid or in one piece.
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