Machine for Making Car Axles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1896-Accepted. 3rd Oct., 1896
Machine for Making Car Axles.
1, JOHN THOMAS ROWLEY, of Tyrone, in the County of Blair, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention has reference to improvements in machine for making car axles
and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 shows three views illustrating first the cylindric bar or blank before
entering the machine; second, the appearance of the same when it has passed
about half way through the forming pass; and, third, the finished axle as it leaves
the machine.
Figure 2 is a plan or top view of the machine.
Figure 3 is a front sido elovation of the machine.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of same.
Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section showing the roller, concave, removable
concave die and forming pass.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show different portions of the removable die plate."
Figures 9 and 10 show one of the fastening blocks and wedges, respectively.
The main body of the machine comprises two parts or halves, each of which
embraces a flat or horizontal base, A; n vertically-placed coucave back, H'; end-
housing, A', for the journal boxes, e; a brace web, A', at the rear of the concave
back and uniting with the flat base; a curved flange, A, also at the rear of the
concaved back and joined to the said base; and a bolt-flange, A', on the base at
the front. The back, H, of these two half-parts is concaved on its frout side in
the form of a half-cylinder which stands vertically. Each half-part is a single
casting and constitutes one end of the body and the said two half-parts are joined
by the two curved flanges, A', being secured together by bolts, a, and the front
flange, A, by a bolt, a. Thus the two solid ends of the body, of massive cast
metal, are separated and joined on a central vertical line crosswise of the concave.
This construction of the body results in great solidity and strength and has other
advantages hereinafter pointed out. The cylindric roller, C, has its journals
mounted in the boxes, e, which enter sidewise to the seats, e', in the end-housings, A'.
A vertical bar, j, is in front of each end-housing and confines the said box and is
secured firmly by horizontal bolts, . The vertical wall at the inner side of the
end-housing, has a projecting tongue, 4, which curves co-incidently with the half-
cylinder concave; this tongue is indicated by broken lines in Figure 4 and the
lower end of each tongue may be seen in Figure 3. A removable concave die
plate, N, is made in sections, in the present instance five sections, and has on each
curved end a groove, , see Figures 6 to 8, also Figure 3; when the die plate is in
position its grooves, , are occupied by the said tongues, 1. The back side of the
concave die plate conforms to the shape of and fits against the said fixed coucave
back, H, and the top edge or entrance edge, m, of the removable concave die plate
fits against a fore-plate, &, which is secured by bolts, k', to front and top of the
concave back; see Figures 3 and 5.
To retain the removable concave die plate, N, in position the top surface of the
base at the front is provided with two sockets, q, indicated by broken lines, and
also with two upward projecting lugs, r, in front of said sockets; a fastening
block, g', has on its lower side a boss, g', which latter enters said socket, g, while

page_text: the front edge of the block abuts against one of the lugs, r. This construction
makes the fastening block very stable and firm. A wedge, s, is then forced between
the said block and the lowermost or terminal edge, o', of the die plate. The two
blocks, q, and the two wedges retain said die plate securely.
In order to remove the sections of the die plate, N, when worn out, and replace
the same with new sections, the two-half parts of the body are to be disconnected
by removing the bolts, a, a', and separating the said half-parts. A new set of
section plates, N, may then be adjusted to their position on the tongues, 2, and
then the said half-parts aguin bolted together. The described construction of the
body in two parts separated on a central vertical line affords the advantage here
referred to. The sections of the die plate, N, extend across and cover the central
joint.
The roll, C, has a swelled middle, n, and at each end enlargements or collars, i.
This arrangement of the cylindric roller is made fensible and practicable by the
construction here shown of die-surface on the cucave plate, N. The concave die-
plate, N, at the entrance end, m, is straight see Figures 3 and 6, but a little below
said edge the middle swell, n³, corresponding to the swell, n on the cylinder roll,
begins to form; this middle swell has a uniform breadth but gradually increases in
thickness or depth, from the starting point to the center of the concave-n distance
sufficient to cause the axle-blank, in traversing the pass between the roll and
concave die, to be rotated at least once or perhaps more on its own axis. The
center of the concave die-plate is seen in Figuro 7. The middle swell, n, on the
roll, and, n, on the concave serve to reduce the cylindric bar or blank from
the form seen in the first view, r, of Figure 1, to the reduced form, y', seen in the
second view of the same figure. Some of the concave die sections also have at
each end raised foriners, i, corresponding to the collars, i, on the roll; these
formers commence at the center seotion, or a little before the center, and continue
to the terminal edge or delivery edge, o, of the last section. From the center of
the concave plate, N, to th telivery edge, o, the middle swell, n', continues full
thickness. The mised form., 3, and collars, i, serve to impart to the axle-blank
the reduced shapes at each end which are the journals, aud the parts described all
together give the finished axle-shape, z, seen in the third view of Figure 1. From
the foregoing it will be seen that the die-surface of concare plate, N, has its first
half (commencing at entrance edge, m,) provided only with a middle swell,
gradually increasing in thickness and its latter half provided with raised formers, i¹,
and also with the full thickness of middle swell. It is this construction of die-
surface that enables the use of one cylinder roller which has on it both middle
swell and end collars. It is proper to state that this machine requires that the
relation of the roll, C, and concave die-surface, shall be such as to form a pass that
is wider at the entrance end than the delivery end, so that as the blank bar of metal
traverses this pass it will be somewhat reduced in diameter.
A feed guide to direct the h cylindric bars into the pass, o, comprises two
inclined bars, t, one at each side, each bar having its upper end secured by a
bolt, u, or other means, to the veil cal bar, j. The lower end of these inclined
bara rest upon the cylindric roll. When the hented blank bar is dropped on to
these inclined bars, t, it is guided into the pass.
the
It will be seen that in this machine the cylindric roll is horizontal and the
concave die plate, N, is at the vertical side of the roller, and the entrance of the
pass is therefore on top or directly above the roller, and the discharge end of
раз is contrally under the roller. The open pass, o, thus describes a segment
of a circle standing vertienlly on one of its ends. This arrangement and con-
struction results in practical advantages; one advantage is that the hot blank may
be dropped directly on top of the constantly-moving roller, C, and rest thereon
bodily, and the roller by its movement will carry the hot blank to the entrance
of the pass, and as the blank strikes against the edge, m, of the concave die, said
blank will be sure to enter the pass in true parallel position. Auother advantage
which results is, that the weight or gravity of the hot blauk assists to carry it

page_text: downward through the pass and out. And still another important advantage is
that the metallic scale, which drops from the blank in the process of rolling, will
slide out of the pass, instead of remaining therein and accumulating, as it will do
where the concave is wholly below the roller. By thus providing for the refuse
scale to freely slide out of the pass, o, said pass is kept clear of this objectionable
debris.
From the foregoing description the operation of the machine will be understood.
It is necessary to have the die-surface in good condition and I have therefore
provided for reuowing this surface by the present construction of removable
sections of concave plate, N. When the dic-surface becomes worn so as to be no
longer capable of doing good work, all the sections may be removed and new ones
inserted. As the die-surface of the plate wears, it becomes thinner, and as the
roller wears, it also becomes smaller, the pass through which the axle-bar must
travel will thereby become gradually enlarged until it is unsuitable for use. To
provide for this wear I make use of a number of thin plates, p, p, at the outset,
when the roller and die-surface are new, several of these plates, p. say three or
four placed under the journal box, e, and a like number of plates, p', are placed at
the vertical delivery side of said box, as shown in Figure 4. Now when the
rollor and die-surface liave worn so as to make the pass, o, larger than it should be,
then the position of the boxes, e, and consequently of the roller, may be changed
a little to restore the delivery end of the pass to the smaller size it had before it
was enlarged. This may be done by removing one liner plate, p, from under the
box, and removing one liner plate, pl, from one vertical side of the box and
placing it at the other side. This has the effect on the roller to both lower it and
also to shift it laterally toward the concave, and thereby reduce the size of the
pase, o. This may be repeated as the parts wear by shifting one liner plate at a
time, until all have been shifted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, aud in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a machine for shaping iron or steel axles, the combination of a body
comprising a horizontal base, A, two end-housings, A', a vertically-placed concave
back, H, connecting integrally with the said base and end-housing, and two
central vertical flauges, A, at the rear of said concave back-said body being
divided into two separable end-parts on a central vertical line or joint between the
Baid two vertical flanges, said line of separation extending vertically across the
said concave back; a cylindric roller placed horizontally and having its journals
in said end-housinge-said roller provided with a swelled middle extending entirely
around it; and a concave die-plate at the vertical side of the roller and fitted in
said concavo back and covering the said ceutral vertical joint therein, as shown
and described.
2. In a machine for shaping iron or steel axles, the combination of a cylindric
roller placed horizontally in suitable bearings and provided with a swelled middle
extending entirely around it; a concave die-plate half-cylindric standing on one of
its ends at the vertical side of the said roller, and forming a pass whose entrance
end is directly on top or above the roller and whose discharge end is centrally
under the roller; a base and back supporting said concave die plate; and
inclined bars, t, having their lower ends in close relation with the top sido of said
roller.
3. In a machine for shaping iron or steel axles, the combination of a cylindrio
roller placed horizontally and provided with a swelled middle extending entirely
around it; a body comprising a base, A, a concave back placed vertically at the
side of the said roller, and two end-housings, A', each provided on its inner wall with
a projecting tongue, l, curved co-incidently with said concave back; a concave
die-plate at the vertical side of the roller-sail plate provided on each curved end
with a groove, l', occupied by one of said tongues; a fore plate, k, secured to the

page_text: front and top of body at the entrance edge of the die-plate; a fastening block
projecting above the top surface of the base and having a boss, g', on its under
side which enters a socket in the base, and a wedge between the said block and the
lowermost or terminal edge of the said die-plate.
Dated this 30th day of July 1896.
JOHN THOMAS ROWLEY.