Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel or other Metal Balls and other Articles, and in Apparatus for Forging and Rolling the same.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel or other Metal Balls
and other Articles, and in Apparatus for Forging and Rolling
the same.
I JOHN WILD of. Falcon Iron Works Oldham in the County of Lancaster.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to the construction of improved machinery or
apparatus for forging and rolling steel or other metal balls such as are used for the
bearings of bicycles velocipedes and other machines.
The invention consists first of apparatus for forging the balis from a heated rod of
steel or other metal and secondly of apparatus for rolling the balls thus forged so
as to perfect their spherical form and impart to them a smoother and better finish.
Metal balls formed by this combined method of forging and rolling will be found
to be much more durable and perfect and less liable to fracture than those which
have been made by the process and apparatus hitherto in use.
The improved apparatus for forging the balls from a heated rod of steel or other
metal is constructed as follows:-
In bearings carried by a suitable frame or standards I mount a main shaft
provided with a fly wheel and fast and loose pulleys. The central part of this shaft
is formed excentric and actuatès a block or hammer working in vertical slides, the
downward stroke of the said block or hammer being given (by preference) by the
action of the excentric and the upward lift produced or assisted by the action of
spiral or other springs. Beneath the movable block or hammer is fixed a corre-
sponding anvil, and so far the machine or apparatus is somewhat similar to what is
known as a "Ryder's " forging machine, the height of the anvil is however adjustable
by means of a powerful screw or screws, and instead of fixed swages I employ
revolving swages or grooved rolls constructed and actuated in the following
manner.
In a recess at the bottom of the movable block or hammer and in a similar recess
at the top of the anvil, I mount a steel roll which is spirally grooved. These rolls
have their axes at right angles to the main shaft and are slightly conical in form so
that their surfaces are a sufficient distance apart at the feeding end for the
introduction of the heated rod between them, and at the delivery end they touch or
nearly touch each other.
I prefer to make the spiral grooves in the two rolls in the same direction and I
cause them to revolve in such a manner that their adjacent sides will move in
opposite directions, in which case the rod will be caused to revolve so that there is a
rolling action on the bar at the same time with the hammering or forging, but in
some cases the rolls may be made one screwed to the right hand and the other to
the left, in which case they must be caused to revolve so that their adjacent surfaces
move in the same direction, and as they revolve they will draw the heated rod
forward and form on its end a series of beads which become gradually reduced and
more and more spherical in form till they reach the other or delivery end of the
spiral rolls where they are almost entirely detached.
The rolls are driven at a slow speed and at the same time the movable block or
hammer has a very rapid rising and falling motion given to it, so that the process
of forming the beads or balls is not merely a rolling or squeezing process but they
are actually hammered and forged between revolving swages.
The heated rod passes to the revolving swages through a sleeve or tube placed
midway between and parallel with their axes at the feeding end so as to feed the
rod accurately endwise of the rolls, and this sleeve or tube has a series of springs

page_text: which give a certain amount of grip on the rod, which latter is also caused to revolve
slowly on its own axis whilst being forged, by the revolution of the feeding sleeve
or tube obtained by suitable gearing from a countershaft driven by a spur wheel and
pinion from the main shaft.
а
I prefer to drive the rolls or revolving swages by worm gearing actuated by
vertical shaft driven by bevil gear from the countershaft, the worm wheel being
keyed on the end of the rolls and each being driven by a separate worm on the said
vertical shaft. The latter must either be squared, or the worms must be capable
of sliding on a feather and grooved so that they will always revolve with the shaft
but are capable of rising and falling with their respective wheels, the lower roll
being adjustable with the anvil and the upper roll constantly rising and falling with
the hammer block.
At the delivery end of the rolling swages a pair of punches or shears is provided
and actuated at the proper moment by a cam or other device so as to sever the
connection of each ball as it is formed and allow it to drop into a receiver or
channel which conducts it to the other or rolling portion of the apparatus.
To keep the rod in its place sideways between the rolling swages I provide two
cheeks or fences which may be removable by a treadle or otherwise, in case it
should be necessary at any time to remove the rod sideways from between the
swages.
The rolling portion of the apparatus consists principally of four narrow rolls or
discs driven by suitable gear mounted, at or near the ends, on four shafts two of
which are parallel and the other two at right angles thereto.
The edges of these rolls or discs are bevilled off at an angle of forty-five degrees
and in the narrow outer-circumference between the two bevils is formed a concave
groove corresponding with about one quarter of the circumference of the ball so
that when they are mounted on their respective shafts with their edges all together
in the centre, the space formed by their grooves is a circle into which the ball just
fits. These rolls or discs are driven in such directions that their tendency is to keep
the ball rolling always in the centre but the ball is also supported by a plunger
which prevents it from falling ont, which plunger is momentarily withdrawn at
certain intervals when the rolls automatically open to allow the finished ball to fall
out and a newly forged one to take its place, when the rolls close upon it, such
intervals corresponding with the movements of the cutting punches or shears above
named.
To prevent the formation of lines on the surface of the ball corresponding with
the junction of the edges of the rolls or discs, provision is made that first one pair
of the latter shall revolve faster and then the other pair, whereby such a continuous
change of position is given to the ball as will prevent the formation of any lines and
the result will be a perfectly smooth spherical form. The balls will then only
require a final polishing with emery powder, or by other known means.
It will be obvious that other forms besides spherical may be forged by this
apparatus, by forming the grooves in the revolving swages to correspond, and for the
rolling part of the process only two rolls will then be required instead of four.
Dated this 8th day of February 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel or other Metal Balls
and other Articles, and in Apparatus for Forging and Rolling
the same.
I JOHN WILD of Falcon Iron Works Oldham in the County of Lancaster
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 relates principally to the construction of improved machinery or
apparatus for forging and rolling steel or other metal balls such as are used for the
bearings of bicycles, velocipedes, and other machines.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference
to the three sheets of illustrative drawings hereunto annexed and the following
explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 is an elevation (partly in section) Fig. 2 a vertical section and Fig. 3 a
plan view of my improved apparatus.
The invention consists first of apparatus for forging the balls from a heated
rod of steel or other metal, and secondly of apparatus for rolling the balls thus
forged so as to perfect their spherical form and impart to them a smoother and
better finish and I would here observe that if preferred the apparatus may be
made in the combined form as represented on the drawings or each portion may
be made in the form of a separate machine and the two worked independently of
each other.
The forging portion of the apparatus is constructed as follows:-In bearings a
carried by a suitable frame 6 I mount a main shaft c provided with a fly wheel d
and fast and loose pulleys e e.
The central part c' of the shaft is formed excentric (see Fig. 2) and actuates a
block or hammer f working in vertical slides g the downward motion of the said
block or hammer being by preference given by the action of the excentric c¹ alone
and the upward lift may be produced or assisted by spiral or other springs (not
shewn on the drawings).
Beneath the movable block or hammer f, is fixed a corresponding anvil h and
so far the machine, or apparatus is somewhat similar to what is well known
as a "Ryder's" forging machine, the height of the anvil h is however adjustable
by means of a powerful screw (or screws) h¹ and instead of fixed swages I
employ revolving swages or grooved rolls constructed and actuated in the following
manner.
In a recess at the bottom of the movable block or hammer f and in a similar
recess at the top of the anvil h I mount a steel roll which is spirally grooved.
These rolls i have their axes at right angles to the mainshaft c and are slightly
conical in form so that their surfaces are a sufficient distance apart at the
feeding end (that is the left hand of Fig. 2) for the introduction of the heated
rod between them, and at the opposite or delivery end, they touch, or nearly touch
each other.
I prefer to make the spiral grooves of the two rolls i in the same direction (as
shown) and I cause them to revolve in such a manner that their adjacent sides will.
move in opposite directions, in which case the heated rod will be caused to revolve
so that there is a rolling action on the same at the same time with the hammering
or forging but in some cases the rolls may be made one screwed to the right hand
and the other to the left, in which case they must be caused to revolve so that
their adjacent surfaces move in the same direction, and in either case as they
revolve they will draw the heated rod forward and form on its end a series of
beads which become gradually reduced and more and more spherical in form till

page_text: they reach the other or delivery end of the spiral rolls i where they are almost
entirely detached.
The rolls are driven at a slow speed by means of worm gearing k k¹ and
at the same time the movable block or hammer f has a very rapid rising or
falling motion given to it by the excentric c' on the first motion shaft c, so
that the process of forming the beads or balls is not merely a rolling or
squeezing process but they are actually hammered and forged between the
revolving swages i.
The heated rod passes to the revolving swages i through a sleeve or tube placed
midway between, and parallel with their axes at the feeding end, or preferably
between two rollers which revolve, and are placed so as to feed the heated rod
accurately end wise of the rolls, whilst the rod is also caused to revolve slowly on
its own axis, whilst being forged, by the revolution of the feeding rollers 1,
obtained by the endless belt or chain shown by the dotted lines m on Fig. 2, or
by other suitable gearing from the countershaft n driven by a spur wheel and
pinion or by an endless band o (see Figs. 1 and 3) from the main shaft c.
I prefer to drive the rolls or revolving swages i by the worm gearing k kl
actuated by a vertical shaft p driven by bevil gear 9 from the counter shaft the
worm wheels k being keyed on the end of the rolls i and each being driven by a
separate worm k on the said vertical shaft p. The latter must either be squared
or the worms must be capable of sliding on a feather, and grooved internally
so that they will always revolve with the shaft p, but are capable of rising
and falling with their respective wheels k, the lower roll or swage being adjust-
able with the anvil and the upper roll constantly rising and falling with the
hammer block f.
At the delivery end of the rolling swages i a pair of punches or shears ris
provided one of which is stationary but adjustable and the other actuated at the
proper moment by a cam s or other suitable device so as to sever the connection of
cach ball as it is formed and allow it to drop into a receiver or channel & which
conducts it to the other or rolling-portion of the apparatus.--
The cams (see Fig. 1) is actuated by worm gear u from the countershaft n and
acts on the movable punch by the lever v but if preferred both punches may bes
made to act simultaneously by fitting a second lever won the other side of the cam s
and connecting it to the other punch.
To keep the heated rod in its place sideways between the rolling swages I
provide two cheeks or fences as shown at i detached view Fig. 24, which may be
removable. by a treadle r, or otherwise, in case it should be necessary at any time
to remove the rod sideways from between the swages i.
The rolling portion of the apparatus is driven partly from the countershaft n by
worm and bevil gearing y through the diagonal shaft z and partly by straps passing
round pulleys and consists principally of four. Darrow rolls or discs 1, 2, 3, 4,
driven from the pulley by suitable toothed gear 5 & mounted at or near the ends
of four shafts 6. 7. 8 and 9 two of which 6 and 8 are parallel and the other two at
right angles thereto.
The edges of these rolls 1, 2, 3, 4 are bevilled off at an angle of forty-five degrees
and in the narrow outer circumference between the two bevils is formed a concave
groove corresponding with about one quarter of the circumference of the ball, so that,
when they are mounted on their respective shafts with their edges all together in
the centre (see Fig. 3) the space formed by their united grooves is a circle into
which the ball just fits.
These rolls or dises 1, 2, 3, 4 are driven in such directions that their tendency is
it keep the ball always rolling in the centre, but the ball is also supported by a
plunger beneath see detached view Fig. 2B which prevents it from falling out,
such plunger being momentarily withdrawn at certain intervals by the cam zxx
when the rolls automatically open to allow the finished ball to fall out and a newly
forged one to take its place when the rolls close upon it, such intervals corre-
sponding with the movements of the cutting punches or shears above named, such
1

page_text: automatic opening and closing of the rolls being effected by the cam 10 and lever 11
(see Fig. 2).
To prevent the formation of lines on the surface of the ball corresponding with
the junction of the edges of the rolls or discs, provision may be made that
first one pair of the latter shall revolve faster, and then the other pair, whereby
such a icontinuous change of position is given to the ball as will prevent the
formation of any lines and the result will be a perfectly smooth and spherical
form.
The balls will then only require a final polishing with emery powder or by.other
known means.
It will be obvious that other forms besides spherical may be forged by this
apparatus by forming the grooves in the revolving swages to correspond, and
for the rolling part of the process only two rolls will then be required instead of
four.
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 :-
--
First The improvement in the manufacture of steel or other metal balls and
other articles consisting in the method of forging the same from a beated rod of
metal by means of reciprocating and revolving dies or swages which are spirally
grooved substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly The improvement in the manufacture of steel or other metal balls
consisting in the method of rolling & finishing balls forged or formed in the manner
covered by the above claim by rolling them between the peripheries of four revolving
discs provided with quarter circle concave grooves in their edges substantially as
herein before described.
:
Thirdly In apparatus for the manufacture of steel or other metal balls and
other articles from a heated rod of steel or other metal the combination with a
fixed anvil, of a rising and falling block or hammer the opposing faces of such anvil
and block or hammer being provided with revolving swages or dies the peripheries
of which are circumferentially and spirally grooved substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Fourthly In apparatus for the manufacture of steel or other metal balls the
combination, with apparatus constructed and operating substantially as herein before
described for forging such balls in the rough, of four discs so arranged that their
edges all roll together in the centre such edges being formed with quarter circle
concave grooves for rolling and finishing such balls and bringing them to a perfectly
smooth surface and spherical form substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of December 1892.