IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE SHOES AND IN MACHINES EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn of 169 Fleet Street in the
City of London Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer for an Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE SHOES AND IN MACHINES
EMPLOYED THEREIN Communicated to him from abroad by Louis Gross
Claude of New York in the United States of America Machinist
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1882.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HORSE SHOES AND IN MACHINES EMPLOYED THEREIN "
[Communicated to him
from abroad by Louis Gross Claude of New York in the United States of America.
Machinist]
My Invention relates to the manufacture of horse shoes of iron with a steel
centre or core at one heat.
I first construct a composite pile formed from two (or more) like bars of iron
each having a longitudinal groove or recess in its face to receive a lesser bar of
steel which is embraced between the iron bars. This construction prevents the
exposure of the steel to heat in the furnace which would injure it. This pile
is heated in a suitable furnace to a welding and rolling heat, and is then passed
through suitable rolls until reduced to the proper shape and dimensions for a horse
shoe bar.
After this rolling the bars are passed at once through the fullering or creasing
rolls which are especially constructed to form on the bar at the proper points the
solid toe and heel calks and impress therein the creases and holes to receive the
nails.
From the creasing-rolls the blank bar passes directly onto a saw-table in which
is mounted a gang of cut-off saws which sever the bar into the shoe blanks. These
blanks fall onto endless chain carriers which deliver them to the bending and clip
forming machine.

page_text: This machine consists in the first place of a clamp for holding the blank while a
swinging roller swages up the clip from the solid toc-calk, and in the second place
of a fixed die around which the shoe is bent by means of levers bearing rollers in
their ends.
The shoc delivered from this machine is yet hot, and is passed in this state to
the pressing machine, the function of which is to straighten and perfect the shoes
and to make them uniform in all respects.
This pressing or finishing machine comprises a reciprocating bed bearing the die
to receive the shoo which bed plays on a heavy bearing roller. Over the recipro-
cating bed is a roller bearing the upper die, which rolls over the shoe as it is borne
along and removes any twist or warp and gives the proper bevel to the upper face
of the shoe.
Two lateral dies are also employed which grasp and hold the shoe firmly while
the upper die is at work, and prevent the pressure of the rolling die froin distorting
the form of the shoe in a lateral direction. Provision is also made for giving the
bed bearing the shoe a speed a little greater than that of the periphery of the
rolling die in order that the latter may exert a slight drawing action on the shoc.
Means are also provided for throwing the shoe from the die automatically after it
is finished.
The process thus contemplates the manufacture of horse shoes with solid too and
heel calks, with steel cores or centres, and with toe-clips, at one heat, thus
economizing time and fuel and avoiding the serious loss by oxidation from
reheating.
The process produces as a product a complete and perfect horse shoe having a
solid toe-calk, heel-calks and clip as before stated with very little hand labor, and
that unskilled, as one skilled man may readily supervise a large number of
unskilled workmen.
Shoes wholly of iron or wholly of steel may also be made by this process as
well as shoes of iron with a steel core or centre.
It will be observed also that by the peculiar arrangement of the successive
steps in the process I am enabled to adapt the work on the shoe to the gradually.
lowering temperature of the metal, as for example, a higher temperature is required
for rolling the bar than for bending the blank and a higher temperature is required
for bending than for pressing the shoe. There must be a welding heat for rolling
the bar, but a much lower temperature is preferred for the last operation of
pressing.
In some cases, owing to hindrance in the operations, the blanks may become too
cool. To guard against this contingency I provido a small auxiliary furnace at the
bending machine to reheat the blanks when required in an emergency.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th December 1882.
"
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HORSE SHOES AND IN MACHINES EMPLOYED THEREIN (A communication to me
from abroad by Louis Gross Claude of New York in the United States of
America, Machinist)
This Invention relates to the manufacture of a horseshoe of iron with a steel
centre or core at one heat.
I first construct a composite pile formed from two (or more) like bars of iron each
having a longitudinal groove or recess in its face to receive a lesser bar of steel
which is embraced between the two iron bars. This construction prevents the
exposure of the steel to heat in the furnace which would injure it.
This pile is heated in a suitable furnace to a welding and rolling heat and is then
passed through suitable rolls until reduced to the proper shape and dimensions for
a horseshoe bar.
After this rolling the bars are passed at once through fullering or creasing
rolls, which are specially constructed to form on the bar at the proper points the
solid toe and heel calks, and impress therein the creases and holes to receive the
nails.
From the creasing rolls the blank bar passes directly onto a saw-table in which is
mounted a gang of cut-off saws which sever the bar into the shoe blanks. These
blanks fall onto endless chain carriers which deliver them to the bending and clip
forming machine.
This machine consists in the first place of a clamp for holding the blank while a
swinging roller swages up the clip from the solid toe-calk, and in the second place
of a fixed die around which the shoe is bent by means of levers bearing rollers in
their ends.
The shoe delivered from this machine is yet hot, and is passed, in this state, to the
pressing machine, the function of which is to straighten and perfect the shoes and
to make them uniform in all respects.
This pressing or finishing machine comprises a reciprocating bed bearing the die
to receive the shoe, which bed plays on a heavy bearing roller. Over the
reciprocating bed is a roller bearing the upper die, which rolls over the shoe as it is
borne along, and removes any twist or warp and gives the proper bevel to the
upper face of the shoe. Two lateral dies are also employed which grasp and hold
the shoe firmly while the upper die is at work and prevent the pressure of the
rolling die from distorting the form of the shoe in a lateral direction. Provision
is also made for giving the bed bearing the shoe a speed a little greater than that
of the periphery of the rolling die in order that the latter may exert a slight
drawing or swaging action on the shoe. Means are also provided for throwing the
shoe from the die automatically after it is finished.
My process thus contemplates the manufacture of horseshoes with solid toe and
heel-calks with steel cores or centres and with toe clips at one heat, thus
economizing time and fuel, and avoiding the serious loss by oxidation from
re-heating.
My process produces as a product a complete and perfect horseshoo having a
solid toe-calk, beel-calks and clip, as before stated, with very little hand-labor, and
that unskilled, as one skilled man may readily supervise a large number of
unskilled workmen.

page_text: Shoes wholly of iron or wholly of steel may also be made by my process as well
ns shoes of iron with a steel core or centre.
It will be observed also that by the peculiar arrangement of the successive steps
in my process I am enabled to adapt the work on the shoe to the gradually
lowering temperature of the metal; as for example a higher temperature is
required for rolling the bar than for bending the blank, and a higher temperature
is required for bending than for pressing the shoc. I must have a welding heat
for rolling the bar, but a much lower temperature is to be preferred for the last
operation of pressing.
In some cases owing to hindrance in the operations the blanks may become too
cool. To guard against this contingency I provide a small auxiliary furnace at the
bending machine to reheat the blanks when required in an emergency.
In order that my improvements in the manufacture of horseshoes may be the
better understood, I will minutely describe it with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which the mechanism employed is fully illustrated, as well as the
preferred mode of arranging them in order to carry on the manufacture to the best
advantage.
Figure 1 shews an end and side view of the pile, A being the steel core and B B
the iron bars enclosing the same. This pile is employed, or some other of a similar
kind, when a combined steel and iron shoe is to be made. The pile is heated to a
welding heat in any suitable furnace, and is then rolled into shape by means of
reducing rolls similar to those illustrated in Figure 2. The pile is passed
successively through the grooves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the latter groove imparting to
it the proper form for the blanks. The bar is next passed through the fullering or
creasing rolls illustrated in Figures 3, 3, 3b, 3° and 3ª, Figure 3 being a front
elevation and Figure 3d a vertical cross section. These rolls form the toe and
heel calks on the bar and the creases and holes for the nails. Figure 3a is an
enlarged view of the rib or die on the upper roll which forms the nail creases and
indentations for the nail holes (which are not punched entirely through) and
Figure 3b represents cross sections of said die or rib on the dotted lines in
Figure 3. Figure 3 is a cross section of the web of the shoe or shoe-blank.
The bar of blanks now passes onto the sliding table of the sawing machine,
direct from the creasing rolls and is cut up into separate billets or blanks. This
sawing machine is illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Figure 4 is a cross
section of the machine and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section. C is a suitable
substantial frame in or on which is rotatively mounted the saw shaft D provided
with a driving pulley E. On this shaft at the proper distances apart, are inounted
two or more circular saws F. G is a sliding, table bed provided with a stop a for
the end of the bar to abut against and fingers bb to support the bar. The table-
bed is moved up to the saws by means of a rack c on the underside of the bed
with which meshes a toothed segment on a shaft e to which is attached a
lever f. This is illustrated in Figure 4 and in the detached plan view Figure 8
and detached elevation Figure 7. Over the saws is arranged, or may be arranged,
a shield or hood H of some suitable material, to protect the workman against
sparks or bits of hot metal. The workman, by means of lever ƒ pushes the bar up
onto the saws, and they cut it into the proper lengths for horseshoes. These
blanks or billets fall onto an endless carrier composed of sheet metal trays
attached to endless chains which are driven by suitable sprocket wheels I. I
have not shewn the delivering end of this chain as it is constructed precisely as
the receiving end, except that the bearing wheels or drums may if desired be left
smooth. The chain carrier may be driven by means of a pulley on the shaft
bearing the sprocket-wheels and the billets or blanks may be delivered onto a
table or onto the ground at the bending machine which will be next described.
The drawings shew suitable shoots or ways J whereby the blanks from two saws
are led into the trays on one carrier below. Two carriers and four saws are shown.
Figure 6 shews a plan of the chain and trays forming the carrier, the view serving
to illustrate the preferred mode of constructing the links and trays.

page_text: The purpose of the machine I am now about to describe is to pinch or squeeze
the heels of the blank, swage the clip in the same at the toe, and bend the blank
into the proper shape. In Figure 9 I have shewn the blank or billet as it comes
from the saws; Figures 10 and 11 shew the blank in plan and elevation,
respectively, after it has been squeezed and the toe-clip formed thereon. Figure 12
represents transverse sections of the blank taken on the dotted lines y y in
Figures 9 and 10, that to the left being through the clip. Figures 13 and 14
illustrate the advantage of bending the shoe after the toe-clip has been swaged from
the metal of the toe-calk. If it is bent before the clip is taken from the metal it
is apt to take the shape shewn in Figure 13, shoulders being formed at the points
indicated by dotted lines in Figures 9, 10 and 13.
The machine for forming the clip, squeezing the heels and bending the shoe or
blank is illustrated in Figures 15, 16, 17 and 18. Figure 15 is a longitudinal
vertical mid-section of the machine; Figure 16 a plan of the same; Figure 17 a
transverse section on the line xx in Figure 15; and Figure 18 is a detached plan
of the heel squeezing mechanism.
K is a suitable frame for the support of the operative mechanism and .L the
driving shaft provided with a fly wheel and driving pulloys of the usual kind.
This shaft also bears a strong pinion which meshes with a toothed wheel on the
shaft M and this wheel meshes with another on a shaft N. On the shaft 'N is
mounted between short arms the swaging roll i for forming the toe-clip. On the
table or frame are mounted adjustably rabbetted blocks j on which the blank rests.
To grip and steady the blank while the clip is being swaged in it, as well as to
squeeze the heels and give them the proper form, I employ a cam k on shaft M
which acts as said shaft rotates to press forward the long arm of a bell crank
lever O, fulcrummed at 7, the short arm m of which squeezes the heels against the
abutment formed by the wall of the rabbett.in blocks j. As this bell crank is acted
upon by the cam, its long arm acts on another bell crank lever P, the other end of
which engages a slide n and presses it firmly down upon the top of the toe-calk.
As soon as these movements are completed, or during their operation, the swaging
roll i, which is carried around by the shaft N comes down on the blank and forms.
the clip as shewn in Figures 10 and 11. When the blank has thus received its.
clip and had the heels properly formed, the successive movements of the machine
release it and it is taken out and transferred to the bending mechanism. This
consists of a form Q with an open space around it in the bed of the table, two
outer shaping guides R R fixed to the table, a reciprocating holder o to hold the
blank up to the form and a crosshead or slide. S bearing two benders TT and
arranged to reciprocate in guides in the table or main frame. The blank is laid on
the table across and in front of the end of the form Q and the holder o is brought
up against it by means of a lever p, a connecting rod q, a lever U and a cam 7 on
the shaft M. A spring & serves to retract the parts after the cam has passed. The
benders T T bear double rollers, one roller in each serving to bend the blank, and
the other to follow the fixed guide R. The reciprocatory movement of the benders
is effected by means of connecting rods V V, which connect the slide or crosshead S
with cranks on the shaft N..
When the shoe is properly bent and the parts retracted the shoe falls down
through the space around the form Q to the ground or into a receptacle. Or it may
fall onto a carrier belt which will take it to the finishing machine which I will
next describe. I will here state however, that in order to avoid the cooling of the
shoes too much for the bending operation, which may occur if there are any
unavoidable delays in the proper succession of the operations, an auxiliary furnaco
may be provided as a precautionary measure at or near the bending machine.
The machine for finishing the borseshoe, in order to give it the proper symmetry
and to remove all warps and twists, is illustrated in Figures 19 to 26.
Figure 19 is a front view and Figure 20 a side view of the machine as a whole
and on a smaller scale than the remainder of the figures. Figure. 21 is a sectional

page_text: plan of the machine the upper roll being removed. Figure 22 is a longitudinal,
vertical mid section of the machine. The remainder are detached detail views.
W is the main frame in general in which is mounted a bearing roll X. Y is a
cross-head which reciprocates in the main frame. To this cross-head is connected
a bed piece Z in a socket in which is set the lower die A'. As the cross head Y
reciprocates the bed piece Z rolls back and forth over the roll X. Over the roll X
is rotatively mounted the roll B¹ bearing the upper die C. This roll is revolved
through the medium of a toothed wheel D₁ on its axis which meshes with a
pinion E' on a driving shaft F' on which are tight and loose pulleys G¹. There is
a wrist on the wheel D¹ and a corresponding crank on the opposite end of the
axis of roll B¹ and connecting rods H¹ extend back from these to wrists on the
ends of the crosshead Y. Thus it will be seen that rotation of the roll B' produces
reciprocating motion of the bed piece Z and consequently of the die A¹.
The die A¹ has a raised central part t corresponding to and fitting the inside of
the shoe and holes uu to receive the toe and heel calks of the shoe when it is
laid on the die A'. Figure 25 shows the face of the upper dio C¹. The two dies
are so geared together that when a shoe is laid on the lower die and this dic
moves back, the upper die will move around so as to press upon the shoe and the
lower die and straighten the shoe. The position of the parts at the beginning of
the operation is well represented in Figure 22.
The upper die however forms the slight chamfer or bevel on the upper side of
the shoe and it is desirable that it shall slightly swage or draw the metal. To
accomplish this I provide a means for giving the lower die a slightly accelerated
movement in excess of that normally imparted, by means of two projecting
pieces I' I' on roll B' best shewn in Figures 19 and 23 which engage at the
right moment projecting parts on the bed piece Z and move it under the upper
dic. This necessitates making the connection between the rods H' and their wrists
somewhat loose, as shewn in Figure 24, so that some play may be had; half an
inch will usually be sufficient.
In order to keep the shoe up to its place on the die A¹ while the upper die is 3
operating on it, whereby all lateral displacement is avoided, I provide adjustable
lateral dies J¹ J' attached to the free ends of levers K' K¹ which are pivoted to
the crosshead Y at v v. The extreme free ends of levers K' bear rollers w w
which rest upon springs a¹ a' which serves to keep the dies J¹ J' elastically
supported and raised a little above the general level of die A¹. As the die A¹
moves back under the upper die the lateral dies J' are brought in against the shoe
and held there by means of rollers b¹ b' on the main frame which engage cam
grooves cc in the levers K¹. These grooves are of such form as to cause the
lateral dies to grasp the shoe, hold it, and release it at the proper moment. Tho
lateral dies stand normally a little abovo the level of the shoe, and as they are
pressed down they prevent the formation of a burr or feather at the angle of the
shoo.
When the shoe has been borne under the upper die and is ready to be removed
this is effected as follows:-A pin d' rests in the hole under the toe-calk of the
shoe and under the lower end of this pin is arranged a tripper e' hinged to the
bed piece Z. As the bed piece moves back, this tripper engages a cam f¹ on the
main frame, pushes up the pin and releases the shoc. But just before the shoe is
fairly free it is brought into contact with a spring rod g¹ (mounted on the frame)
which is thus pressed back and the spring on it compressed. A little further
movement fully releases the shoe and the reaction of the spring rod throws tho
shoe entirely off the die A¹ and onto the ground.
The shoo is now complete and ready for market.
Figure 26 is merely a sectional view of a lever K¹ shewing the method of
adjusting the die J' thereon. The lateral adjustment is effected by wedges and the
longitudinal adjustment by a screw.
The several machines and accessories employed in carrying out my mode or
system of manufacturing horseshoes may be arranged as best accords with the

page_text: taste or convenience of the manufacturer; but in Figure 27 I have shewn in
diagram the arrangement I prefer and which is best adapted for carrying out the
successive operations. In this figure N° 1 represents the furnace for heating the
pilo; N° 2 represents the reducing rolls; N° 3 the creasing or fullering rolls;
N° 4 the saw table and saws for cutting the burs up into billets or blanks;
No 5 the endless carriers for conveying the billets to the bending machine;
N° 6 the bending machine; N° 7 an auxiliary furnace, and N° 8 the finishing
machine.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed as communicated to me I declare that I claim :—
First: The improvement in the manufacture of horseshoes which consists in
submitting a pile or blank bar after having been heated to a welding and rolling
heat to the several successive operations of rolling, creasing or fullering, sawing,
bending and clip forming, and pressing or finishing, at one heat, and thereby
forming complete shoes, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second-The machine constructed and acting substantially as bereinbefore
described and represented in Figures 4 to 8 of the drawings for cutting the bars
into shoe blanks and delivering the cut blanks to a bending machine or otherwise.
Third-The machine constructed and acting substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in Figures 19 to 26 for pressing and finishing the
shoes..
Fourth As special features of the pressing and finishing machine,-the recipro-
cating bed bearing the lower die to receive the shoe and playing on a bearing
roller, in combination with a roller bearing the upper die and with lateral dies to
grasp and hold the shoe, the said lower die having an accelerated movement for the
purpose explained; also the mechanism for automatically throwing the finished
shoe out of the die; all substantially as described and shewn.
In witness whereof I the said John Clayton Mewburn have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentieth day of December One thousand eight hundred
and eighty two.