Improvements in Ball Pressing or Rolling Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept.. 1899 -Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Pressing or Rolling Machines.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Bucking-
ham Street, Strand, W.C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, a communication to me from abroad by Martin Frederick Christensen,
of Akron, Ohio, United States of America, Mechanical Superintendent, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
This machine relates to machines for producing solid metallic spheres or balls.
The object of the invention is to devise a machine that is capable of making
anti-friction balls with great facility and cheaply, and whose work, concerning
the perfection in the form and the durability of the balls, is highly satisfactory.
With this object in view, the invention consists in certain features of con-
struction, and combinations of parts, hereinafter described, and pointed out in
the claims.
The accompanying drawing is an elevation, partly in section, of a machine
embodying the invention.
The blank b upon which the machine operates is, preferably, a piece cut from
a heated metallic rod, of proper cross section. The blank enters the machine,
therefore, in a suitably heated condition. A blank having a length approxi-
mately equal to its greatest diameter, or cross section, is desirable, but, of
course, the blank may be slightly longer or shorter than the said diameter.
The blank is fed into the machine which, as hereinafter appearing, will give
to the blank a movement similar to a gyratory motion and will roll the blank
about its axis in every direction and thus knead the blank until the grain of the
same, in the finished ball, has been contorted and the metal is, in a sense,
homogeneous and has no special grain.
Spherical bodies or balls formed in the manner above set forth, are so rolled,
kneaded, condensed and compressed during their formation that the grain of
the metal is contorted and the product will not split, crack or break.
Referring to the drawing, represents the base of the machine which is
preferably formed with an annular chamber a¹ that serves as a receiver for
the finished balls or spheres 6'. The chamber a¹ is provided with an outlet a³
for discharging the balls. Secured centrally to the base, and underneath the
same, is a hollow flanged boss c which is screw-threaded internally as at of to
receive the adjusting screw c¹. The adjusting screw el is provided with suitable
means for operating or turning it, such as a bar or handles and also, with a
pointer which co-operates with a micrometer scale 4, thus forming a micro-
meter adjusting device. A lock-nut is provided for locking the screw c¹
when the latter is properly adjusted.
dd represent hard metallic plates which are so shaped that a ball-race for
balls is formed between them. The plates and balls are located

page_text: F
above the sorew o¹ and beneath the vertical shafte of the machine and form an
anti-friction step-bearing for the said shaft.
f represents a vertically arranged rotatable conical roller which is mounted
upon and operated by the shaft e. The operating surface of the roller f is,
preferably, roughened by fluting or cross fluting, or nurling, thereon, in any
suitable manner, either over the whole or a part of its area. Shaft e is supported
above the roller in a suitable bearing e¹ arranged in the upper end of a casing g.
Casing g surrounds the conical roller f and is very rigidly secured to the
base a, in any approved manner. The inner or operative surface of the casing g
is provided with a continuous spiral groove g₁ which is preferably formed in the
said surface so as to be uniform both in depth and width. The groove g¹ is
preferably uniform, also, in pitch.
The blank is received at the machine's inlet g³ whence it passes into the
receiving end of the groove and is operated upon, by and between the grooved
conical wall of the casing g and the external feeding surface of the conical
roller f, and fed from end to end of the groove and discharged in a highly
satisfactory condition into the chamber a¹. The nurling or roughening of the
feeding surface formed by the exterior of the roller f of the machine illustrated
is desirable to facilitate the proper feeding of the balls between the two co-
operating conical walls. The nurling is preferably such that the longitudinal
grooves formed thereby extend across the spiral groove. The nurling or
roughened surface of the ball-feeding part is preferably fine enough to prevent
the same cutting, abrading or otherwise mutilating or injuring the balls, but
the said feeding surface can be rougher or nurled more coarsely between the
central portion and narrower end of the conical roller.
The edges of the side walls of the spiral groove glare, preferably rounded as
at g² at the open side of the said groove so as to avoid, or lessen the liability of
cutting, abrading or shaving the blank or ball during the latter's manipulation
in the machine, which shaving abrading or cutting might result were the said
edges or corners of the groove g¹ left sharp.
as
The opposing co-operating surfaces of the conical walls and fare preferably
at uniform angles to the base a, except at the ball-inlet end of the machine,
and an angle of forty-five degrees is preferred, because at the said angle, the
aforesaid surfaces cause the ball to be rolled in the largest possible number of
directions upon its axis during its revolution between the said surfaces. The
chamber formed between the conical walls is, preferably enlarged or flaring
outwardly near at its blank-receiving end, only as at f', SO
to facilitate and assist the reception of the blank and the commence-
ment of the ball-forming operation, by the machine, but for the main point of
the chamber the walls are parallel. In the machine illustrated the upper
portion of the roller is somewhat cut away to form the said enlargement of the
receiving end of the chamber formed between the blank-manipulating surfaces.
As herein before stated, the upper end of the casing g is formed into a bear-
inge for the purpose of supporting the shaft e, and this bearing e¹ is the
main upper bearing for the said shaft and the roller g. Above the bearing el
is provided a vertically adjustable bearing e² which is located in and supported
by a yoke h. The bearing 2 is provided with an external screw-thread which
engages an internal thread formed in the yoke h, and the bearing is adjusted
by turning it in the desired direction. A flange-head e³ having notches e¹ is
formed upon the lower end of the bearing e² for the purpose of adjusting the
bearing by means of a spanner-wrench. A lock-nut i engages the screw-thread
of the bearing above the yoke h and locks the bearing in its adjusted position.
represents a collar which is adjustably secured to the shaft e beneath the
bearing by means of a screw 18.
The micrometer adjusting device herein before described enables a nice adjust-
ment of the rotary conical wall relative to the opposing stationary wall.
The adjustable bearing e² and collar act as an auxiliary to the said micro-

page_text: meter adjustment for the purpose or securing the sha
22
апи что
conical wall or roller f from "jumping' or chattering." or any kind of dis-
placement longitudinally or otherwise.
The upper end of the shaft e is provided with a power transmitting device,
such for instance, as a pulley k.
Although the machine illustrated comprises the preferable construction and
most desirable arrangement of parts, the invention is not limited in this respect
and what is claimed as particularly novel and meritorious is as follows.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: `
1. A machine for producing metallic spherical bodies or balls, comprising the
following two conical co-operating walls arranged the one within the other
in the relation required to accommodate the operation upon the blank fed
between them, and having their opposing surfaces constituting the working
surfaces of the walls; one of the said walls being rotatably supported and suit-
ably driven, whereas the other of the said walls are stationary; one of the afore-
said surfaces being provided with a spiral groove which constitutes a continuous
race-way for the balls, and the other of the said surfaces constituting a feeding
surface, whereby the blank is carried around between the two surfaces, and
through the spiral path, and formed in its passage substantially as described.
2. A machine for producing metallic spherical bodies or balls, comprising a
stationary conical casing having its inner surface formed with an open ended
continuous spiral groove, in combination with a suitably actuated rotatable
conical roller co-operating with the grooved surface of the stationary casing to
force a blank, which enters one end of said groove, in a spiral path around
between the casing and the roller and knead and compress the blank into a homo-
geneous sphere.
3. A machine for producing metallic spherical bodies or balls comprising
the following: two conical walls arranged the one within the other and having
their opposing surfaces constituting the working surfaces; one of the said sur-
faces being spirally grooved substantially throughout its length; and the other
of the said surfaces constituting the feeding surface; one of the said walls being
stationary whereas the other of the said walls is rotatable; the chamber or
space formed between the two walls being uniform except at its receiving end
that flares as required to facilitate the reception of, and the commencement of
the operation upon, the blank by the aforesaid opposing surfaces.
4. A machine for producing metallic spherical bodies or balls comprising
a stationary conical casing having its inner surface spirally grooved substan-
tially throughout its length, and a suitably operated rotating conical roller
cut away, as at f' at the receiving end of the chamber and having a nurled or
roughened feeding surface substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.
5. A machine for producing metallic spherical bodies or balls comprising the
following: two conical walls arranged the one within the other, and arranged
as required to form a narrow chamber between the said walls and having their
opposing surfaces constituting the working surfaces of the machine; one of the
said surfaces having a spiral groove extending substantially throughout the
length of the said surface, whereas the other of the said surfaces constitutes a
feeding surface; the side walls of the aforesaid groove being rounded at their
elges at the open side of the groove; one of the aforesaid walls being stationary
whereas the other is rotatable and driven in any approved manner.
6. A machine for producing metallic spherical bodies or balls comprising a
stationary conical casing having its inner surface provided with a spiral groove
extending substantially throughout the length of the said surface and con-
structed so that no abrupt edges or shoulders are formed, a rotating conical

page_text: roller within said casing which roller is provided with a roughened surface,
and means for driving the roller.
7. A machine for forming metallic spherical bodies or balls, comprising the
following: two conical walls arranged the one within the other and having
their opposing surfaces constituting the working surfaces of the machine; one
of the said surfaces being spirally grooved, and the other of the said surfaces
constituting a feeding surface; one of the said walls being stationary whereas
the other wall is rotatable; a suitably driven shaft for driving the said rotary
wall, an end-bearing for the shaft, which bearing is adjustable endwise of the
shaft, and means for securing the said bearing in the desired adjustment.
8. A machine for forming metallic spherical bodies or balls, comprising an
upright stationary conical casing having its interior surface spirally grooved,
an upright rotating conical roller within the said casing, a suitably driven shaft
for driving the said roller, and adjusting means for the said shaft, which adjust-
ing means constitutes a bearing for the lower end of the shaft.
9. A machine for forming spherical bodies, comprising an upright stationary
conical casing having its inner surface spirally grooved, a rotating conical
roller mounted within the casing, a shaft for driving the said roller, means for
adjusting the shaft vertically and constituting a bearing for the lower end
thereof, a yoke above the said stationary casing, a vertically adjustable bearing
mounted on said yoke and a collar secured to the shaft below said adjustable
bearing.
10. A machine for forming metallic spherical bodies or balls, comprising the
following two conical walls arranged the one within the other, and having
their opposing surfaces constituting the working surfaces of the machine; one
of the said walls being stationary, whereas the other of the said walls is rotatable
and driven in any approved manner; one of the said walls having a spiral groove
extending substantially from end to end of the wall circumferentially of the
co-operating wall, and the last-mentioned wall being provided with grooves
arranged to cross the spiral groove of the grooved wall, whereby the blank is
run between two walls through the spiral groove and roller and formed in its
passage substantially as described.
11. A machine for forming spherical bodies or balls, comprising the follow-
ing a base or support; two conical walls arranged the one within the other
and having their opposing surfaces constituting the working surfaces of the
machine, which walls are arranged at, or approximately at, an angle of forty-
five degrees to the base or support, one of the said conical walls being rigid
with the aforesaid base or support whereas the other conical wall is rotatable
and driven in any approved manner; one of the aforesaid opposing and work-
ing surfaces having a spiral groove extending substantially from end to end
of the surface and circumferentially of the co-operating surface, and the last-
mentioned surface being roughened to form a suitable feeding surface.
Dated this 5th day of September 1899