IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL DIES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL
DIES." A communication from abroad by George F. Champney,
of Berlin, Prussia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th March 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
METAL DIES," a communication, to be as follows :—
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of steel
or iron and steel dies, and to certain contrivances for producing the
same; the said dies being made in depression or relief without recourse
to the heretofore universally employed engraving tool.

page_text: In practising this Invention I take a piece of steel or iron and steel
upon which the impression is to be made, and fasten it into a plate or
washer, which I press tightly into the end of a pipe or vessel of metal or
other suitable material with the end slightly enlarged to keep the said
washer from going too far in or getting out of place. I then lute the
edge of the said plate or washer with cement, and in this manner make
a perfectly tight joint between the said plate and pipe or vessel. I then
spread upon the interior surface of the pipe or vessel a little oil or fat,
after which I close tightly the other end by means of a cover of copper
or other suitable material cemented in like manner, and place the whole
when so prepared in a fire, where it remains until the pipe or vessel has
attained a red white heat. Under the influence of this heat the oil or fat
on the interior of pipe becomes converted into a gas or smoke which
destroys the oxygen in the vessel and thereby prevents the oxidizing of
the steel.
Upon the end of a mandril within a cylinder I place the patrico or
form which is to be impressed on the die blank. After the aforesaid pipo
or vessel has obtained the required degree of heat it is removed from
the fire, the cover is taken off, and the pipe or vessel slipped down
over the cylinder and mandril until the said washer or plate rests upon
the end of the said cylinder; a metal disc is laid on the said plate.
The whole so arranged is now subjected to the power of a fall hammer.
This hammer falling upon the disc prevents the jamming of the end of
the pipe and drives the cylinder in which the die blank is placed
down over the mandril, carrying the said die blank with it, so that
the patrice becomes forcibly pressed against or into the block of steel
to which it gives the impression in reverse. In most cases a single
blow of the hammer is sufficient, except when the
is in high relief, in such cases several blows must be given.
patrice or matrice
It may be sometimes desirable to prepare and heat the metal, as above
described, for each blow. I insert a screw through the side of the
cylinder working in a slot formed in the side of the mandril, and which
prevents the turning of the latter in the cylinder. After the impression
is made on the die the washer is knocked off.
The aforesaid cylinder and mandril, which are preferably made of iron
and steel, enclosing at the same time the steel block and patrice resting
upon the end of the mandril cause the entire force of the blow to act

page_text: in a vertical direction, that is to say, they prevent the spreading of the
block at the sides, and the entire blow is spent in forcing the object
resting upon the mandril against the face of the dic block, and not upon
the back of the die. In this manner the dies are made much sharper than
any
other manner except by cutting.
in
The dies may be made with a base of iron and the face part of steel.
I may reverse the parts so that the blow shall come on the mandril,
driving the same with the patrice or form on its cnd against the die
block, as both methods produce the same effect in making dies. I may
use any other suitable combustible in the pipe instead of oil or fat for
the same purpose. The patrice may be of cast iron, steel, or of various
other metals, or an electro-plate shell of copper or silver, made from a
model of wax, plaster, wood, or the like, and filled with a hard solder,
so that in reality a steel die can be readily produced without any cutting
of the steel. This process is of great value in making dies for jewellery,
spoons, and forks, buttons, buckles, and similar articles.
ها
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: Figure 2 represents the cylinder fand mandril g. Upon the end of
the latter is placed the patrice or form x which is to be impressed on the
die blank a. After the aforesaid pipe or vessel has attained the required
degree of heat it is removed from the fire, the cover is taken off, and the
pipe or vessel slipped down over the cylinder f and mandril 7 until the
plate rests upon the end of the cylinder f; a metal disc is laid on the
plate b, as shewn in Figure 3. The whole so arranged is now subjected
to the power of a fall hammer. This hammer falling upon the disc h
prevents the jamming of the end of the pipe and drives the cylinder in
which the die blank is placed down over the mandril 9, carrying the
said die blank with it, so that the patrice becomes forcibly pressed
against or into the block of steel a to which it gives the impression in
reverse. In most cases a singlo blow of the hammer is sufficient, except
when the patrice or matrice is in high relief, in such cases several blows
must be given.
It may be sometimes desirable to prepare and heat the metal as above
described for each blow.
The aforesaid cylinder and mandril 9, which are preferably made of
iron or steel, enclosing at the same time the steel block a and patrice x
resting upon the end of the mandril a cause the entire force of the blow
to act in a vertical direction, that is to say, they prevent the spreading of
the block a at the sides, and the entire blow is spent in forcing the object
resting upon the mandril 7 against the face of the dio block a, and not
upon the back of the dic. In this manner the dies are made much
sharper than in any other manner except cutting.
I may make the tools round, square, oblong, or of any other form
required, and the dies may be made with a base of iron, and the face
part of steel. I may reverse the tool so that the blow shall come on the
mandril g, driving the same with the patrice or form on its end against
the die block a as both methods produce the same affect in making dies.
I may also make the cylinder and mandril of a single piece and with a
cavity in the end to receive the patrice, and the steel block a may be
impressed; and I may introduce any other suitable combustable into
the pipe instead of oil or fat for the same purpose. The patrice may be
of cast iron, steel, or of various other metals, or an electro-plate shell of
copper or silver made from a model of wax, plaster, wood, or the like,
and filled with a hard solder, so that in reality a steel die can be readily
produced without any cutting of the steel. I insert a screw through

page_text: the side of the cylinder working in a slot formed in the side of the
mandril, and which prevents the turning of the latter in the cylinder.
After the impression is made on the die the washer 6 is knocked off.
This process is of great value in making dies for jewelry, spoons, and
forks, buttons, buckles, and similar articles.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
Witness,
HY. JA. NOONE.
WN. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)