IMPROVE- MENTS IN BENDING AND SHAPING IRON OR STEEL AND OTHER METALS
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FREARSON, of Islington, Birmingham, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the twelfth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Frearson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Frearson,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Frearson,
my exors, admňors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BENDING AND SHAPING IRON OR STEEL AND OTHER METALS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Frearson,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Frearson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: that is to say:
My Invention consists, first, of improvements in the bending and shaping
iron and other metals for making links of chains. And in order that my
Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will
proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front elevation; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, a
vertical section; Figures 4 and 5, two horizontal sections taken at the dotted
line 1 and 2 in Figure 1, such two sections respectively showing a view as if
looking from below upwards, the other shewing a view of the parts as if
looking downwards from such sectional line. In each of these Figures the
same letters are used to indicate similar parts; and in order to facilitate the
understanding of the nature of each part, and the duty it has to perform in
the machine, I would state that the machine is so constructed that round bars
of iron (whilst hot from the rollers by which they are produced) are fed into
the machine, lengths each suitable for a link are cut off, and successively bent
around a mandril, in such manner as to produce the necessary form for
making oblong links when welded at the ends; and I would also state, that
although I prefer that the bars fed into the machine should be direct from the
rolls by which they are produced, in order to save the expence of re-heating,
yet bars may be re-heated for the machine. a is the main or driving shaft
which receives motion from a steam engine or other power by an endless strap
acting on the drum 6, fixed on the axis a. On the axis a is fixed the bevelled
toothed wheel c, which takes into and drives the bevilled tooth wheel d, fixed
on the axis e; on the axes e is fixed the cam f, which gives motion to the
cranked lever g, there being a truck g¹ at one end of such lever resting against
the cam f, the other end of the lever being turned downwards at right angles,
so as to offer a plate g³, against which the end of the slide h constantly rests,
notwithstanding that slide moves up and down when working. The slide
carries the die or mandril i, on which the cut off portions of the iron are bent,
such die or mandril being fixed to the slide, as shewn, by a screw. The slide g,
in addition to having a to-and-fro motion for the purpose of withdrawing the
die or mandril from the link bent thereon, and to replace the die in position
to have another link bent thereon, has also a motion communicated to it up
and down in the following manner-:-j is a frame, the nature of which is clearly
shewn in the Drawing; this frame is moved up and down by means of the

page_text: cam on the driving shaft or axes, such cam working between the two
rollers, carried by the frame j. The frame j has affixed to it the plate k,
which has bevelled edges, and it works between the two dovetail guides 1, 1,
fixed to the framing of the machine, and the plate k is affixed adjustably to
the framej by means of the screw and nut m, the screw passing through the
slotted end of the frame j, as shewn, by which the plate k is fixed in any position
to which it may be brought, and supported by the adjusting screw and nut n,
which screw passes through the projection on the upper part of the plate k,
such screw resting on the upper surface of the lower part of the framing j.
The mandril or die i passes through the boss or enlargement k', formed in front
of the plate k, and at the back of the plate k are formed or affixed a projec-
tion, with plates k³, forming dovetail guides for the slide h, which has affixed
to it the die or mandril i. The frame j, which is caused to rise and fall as
above explained, is guided by the wheels o, o, carried by the framing, as shewn.
The Drawings show the parts in the positions in which they would appear on
there having been a link just bent into shape on the mandril or die i, and such
link will be removed by the mandril going back, by reason of the cam moving
back the slide h; and in order to ensure the removal of the link from the
die or mandril, there is a lever p, with a sliding hook p¹ attached at its
end, such sliding hook moving in fixed guides p², and the upper end of the
lever pis actuated by the cam surface p³, fixed on the main or driving shaft,
as shewn. The link being removed, the parts carrying the die or mandril
descend so that the mandril may come into position to receive and have
bent and formed thereon another link. q is a bar of heated iron, which has'
by preferrence been fed in directly from the rollers by which such bar has
been made. The bar q is placed on the bed or platform r, and is held by
means of the end of the levers and the end of the lever s', the lever s being
worked by the cam s², fixed on the axis e, such cam actuating the lever s³, and
motion is communicated from the levers to the lever s by means of the con-
necting rods, which connects these two levers; the cam s² being so formed as
to cause the bar of iron to be held when not being drawn into the machine,
but releasing the rod when a further quantity is to be drawn in by the feeding
tongs t. The tongs are made so as to slide to and fro, and are guided in such
movement by the fixed guides v, as shown, and such to-and-fro motion is
caused by the cranked lever u, which is connected one end to the feeding
tongs, and the other end of this lever is actuated by the cam u¹ on the axis e.
And in order to close the jaws of the feeding tongs, the lever wis employed,
which at one end is acted on by the cam w¹ on the axis e, the other end of this
lever being, by means of the connecting rod w², connected to the lever w³

page_text: such lever w³ carrying a plate w, by which the jaws of the tongs one kept
closed during the sliding of the tongs back when drawing in a fresh quantity
or length of the bar q; and it will be seen that the portion of the bar which is
to make the next link will stand obliquely across the mandril or die i, the
object of which arrangement being to cause the link to be bent into a portion.
of a helix around the axis or mandril, and in such manner that the scarfed
ends of the metal will be brought into a favorable position for welding; but
this oblique position is not absolutely necessary, more particularly where the
ends of the metal are to be cut at right angles in place of being scarfed. The
metal is cut off with bevilled or scarfed ends by means of the cutters x, x², the
cutter being moveable, whilst the cutter a¹ is fixed, and motion is com-
municated to the cutter & by means of the arm a², affixed to the axis a³, to
which is affixed the lever arm a', which carries the truck a, and is actuated
by the cam a on the axis a. The length of iron being cut off by the cutters
x, x', is raised by the rising of the die or mandril, so as to bring it against
the instruments y, y, whereby the two ends of the length of metal will be
folded down against the two sides of the die or mandril i, which continues to
rise, and when it has risen above the ends of the instruments y, y, the ends of
those instruments are caused to pass under the die or mandril, thus.bending
the ends under and towards each other. The instruments y, y, are carried by.
the levers y', which turn upon the axis y, and at their upper ends carry the
rollers y, which are acted upon by the cams y', y', on the axis a.
I will now proceed to describe another arrangement of machinery for
bending iron or other material for making links of chains. Figure 6 shows a
plan of such machinery; Figure 7, part of an end view; and Figure 8, part of
a side section. A is the main or driving shaft, which receives motion from a
steam engine or other power by a strap acting on the drum B. The axis or
shaft A gives motion by a crank C to the connecting rod D, which connecting
rod is attached to the dovetail slide E, which is guided in its movements as
shown. The slide E carries the forcer F, which successively carries forward
the lengths of metal between the grooved rollers G, G, to the position H; and
in order to prevent the bent or partly shaped metal from returning with the
forcer, the two sliding stops or bolts I are caused to come towards each other
by springs as soon as the bent piece of metal has passed, so that in the
return of the forcer the bent piece of metal comes against the bolts, and the
forcer returns to its position. The rollers G, G, are carried by means of the
bars G, G¹, and their positions are regulated by the screws J, J. The pieces
of metal are fed into the machine by a hopper K, and if iron be the metal,
then I prefer to have a cutting machine so placed that hot bars from the rolls

page_text: by which they are made may be brought and cut into lengths, so as to fall into
the hopper, and thus obtain the benefit of the heat still remaining in the iron,
which will be sufficient for the purposes of bending, and thus I save the cost of
re-heating. The forcer passes under the end of the hopper and takes the
lowest piece of metal, and bends it by forcing it between the rollers G. The
pieces of metal thus far bent into shape are then finished by hand. Figure 9
shows a plan, and Figure 10 a side section of part of a machine acting
similarly to that just described, but is capable of bending and shaping metal in
the making of links for chains to a greater extent than the preceding machine.
The slide E carries two forcers F and F¹, that at F working with a pair of
rollers G, G, in a similar manner to what has just been described, but they do
not bend the pieces of metal to a like extent, the rollers G, G, with the
forcer F, producing a bending at the ends, and also slightly in the length, as
compared with the preceding machine, and the forcer carries the piece of
metal into the position H, where two sliding stops or bolts, forced towards each
other by springs, prevent the piece of metal going back with the forcer F. The
piece of metal at H is next acted on by the forcer F', which is hinged to the
slide E in such manner that it may descend when going back to act upon a
piece of metal in the position H, but as soon as forcer F¹ as passed the piece
of metal at H, it is pressed upwards into position, and then carries forward the
piece of metal between the rollers M, M, into the position shewn at N, where
the bent piece of metal is retained from coming back by the two bolts or
stops O, which are pressed towards each other by springs; in this manner
may pieces of metal be bent and shaped suitably for making links of chains.
This machine, like the preceding, is fed by means of a hopper, and if the
metal is iron, I prefer that the rods or bars should be brought hot from the
rolls by which they have been made, in order to save the necessity of re-heating.
In place of the second pair of rollers M, I can use apparatus such as
shown in plan at Figure 11, where two curved dies P, P, are mounted on
slides P1, P1, and they are actuated by means of levers P2, P3, which are
actuated by cams on the main or driving shaft, so timed that when the first
forcer of the last described machine has forced it through between the pair of
rollers G, G, in place of the stops taking the piece of metal, the curved dies
would come towards each other, the forcer would then retire, and the dies P
would close and shape the metal. The second forcer, the second pair of rollers,
and the stops before described would therefore be dispensed with.
In the above description I have spoken chiefly; of making iron chains, but it
will be evident that like arrangements of machines are equally applicable when

page_text: making similar links of other metal. When making links, as above described,
of iron having scarfed joints, they may be finished by hand welding in the
ordinary manner; but I prefer to employ tilt or machinery driven hammers, so
that the workman will only require to move the links under the hammer
when being operated on thereby. The link to be welded having had its ends
brought together and heated to a welding heat is brought by a workman to
the anvil P, Figure 12, where it receives two or three blows from the hammer
Q, which is driven by steam or other power in the manner of a tilt hammer or
otherwise, so that the workman has only to turn the link after it has received
blows on one side. The link thus far completed is next carried to the anvil R,
which I prefer to have a beak with a hollow to receive the link, and the
hammer S receives a quick motion, say, about one hundred and fifty blows per
minute, but this may be varied, the workman moving the link so that all parts
of the weld may be well hammered. The link is next taken to the anvil T,
which is similar to the preceding one, but in this instance I cause the hammer
to act on a hollow tool so as to planish and finish the surface; by this arrange-
ment this process will be similar to hand finishing, where a hollow tool is used
and held and struck by workmen. I would remark, in respect to this part of
my Invention, that I am aware that it has been proposed to use dies acted on
by tilt hammers to weld links of chains, and I mention this circumstance
in order to shew that the peculiar character of this part of my Invention may
be understood, which consists of using hammers driven by power, as shewn
and described in respect to Figure 12, the workman simply having to move
the link, and then finishing the surface by a hammer and tool worked by
power, as described in respect to T, Figure 12.
I will now describe another part of my Invention, which has for its object
the shaping metal into pointed ends suitable for nails or pins. Figure 13
shows so much of an end view, and Figure 14 so much of a side view of
a machine for this purpose as will enable me to describe this part of my
Invention. This machine consists of causing lengths of wire suitable for
two nails or pins to be fed into a machine, and then by pressing it in the
centre, and causing it to revolve on the surface V by the slide W, the metal
will be formed into two cones, which, when they arrive at the point X where
the tools W and V meet, the length of metal will be divided into two parts,
each having its end shaped into a point by the pressure of one instrument
whilst it rolls over the surface of the other. The surface or tool W is
slided between guides, as shown, whilst the tool or surface V is fixed; the
metal is fed in when the space between W and V is greatest, and as the tool'

page_text: W moves, the space between the two tools will decrease, thus elongating the
piece of wire, and at the same time producing two cones, which ultimately
become the points of the two pieces into which the length of wire is divided.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark, that I do not confine
myself to the details herein described so long as the peculiar character of any
part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the forming of links for iron chains in a state suitable to be welded
by another machine, or by hand, by feeding in hot bars from the rolls, or from
a furnace, and causing lengths to be cut off and bent into shape without the
necessity of the pieces of iron being moved by hand between the processes of
cutting and bending.
Secondly, I claim the mode of combining the parts for cutting and shaping
metal, as described in respect to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.
Thirdly, I claim the forcing of pieces of iron between one or more pairs of
grooved rollers or surfaces combined with other apparatus, as described in
respect to Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11.
Fourthly, I claim the feeding of lengths of metal into link-bending machines
by apparatus which I have called a hopper.
Fifthly, I claim the mode of welding links of chains, as described in respect
to Figures 12.
And, sixthly, I claim the mode of shaping two pieces of metal with points,
as described in respect to Figures 13 & 14.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Frearson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine
Enrolled the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.