An Improved Hand Forging Apparatus for Blacksmiths' use.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Hand Forging Apparatus for Blacksmiths' use.
I, WILLIAM BURT STARK, of 28 and 30, Martin Street, Plymouth, Blacksmith,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in an improved shaping tool for use in blacksmith's
work. It is designed for punching, shaping, shearing and the like.
The tool which constitutes this invention consists of a cranked or angular
lever pivotted to a bracket fixed towards one end of an arm extending horizontally
and held rigidly by a leg or other support secured to the arm and fixed firmly
in place. Towards one end of the arm aforesaid is a quadrant, through a slot
in which is passed one limb of the lever. The slot is closed at both ends. From
the pivot, the two limbs of the lever, which form an angle with each other,
diverge. Both limbs carry adjustable weights fitted with set screws for clamping
the weights on the limbs at any point. The upper face of the horizontal fixed arm
aforesaid is knife-edged, dentated, grooved, or otherwise specially shaped. The
under face of that part of the lever which lies over the said horizontal arm is
shaped similarly to the upper face of the horizontal arm. The quadrant afore-
said may be dispensed with.
In practically using the appliance the iron or steel forging to be operated upon
is, after having been heated, placed between the horizontal arm and the lever.
The latter is then, by manually tilting, made to descend on the forging which
is thus cut, hammered, pressed or otherwise shaped to the required configuration.
The operation is facilitated and assisted by means of the adjustable weights
aforesaid.
Instead of grooving, dentating, or otherwise shaping the lever and the horizontal
arm, both of these may be adapted to receive and retain dies or blades having the
required shapes; which dies or blades are readily fixed or removed for substitution
by others according to the operation to which the forging is to be subjected.
Dated this 14th day of September 1897.
An Improved Hand Forging Apparatus for Blacksmiths' use.
I, WILLIAM BURT STARK, of 28 and 30, Martin Street, Plymouth, Blacksmith,
lo hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
[Price 8d.]

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
This invention consists in an improved hand forging apparatus for blacksmiths'
use.
The improved hand forging apparatus which constitutes this invention consists
of a bent or angular lever pivotted at or near the bend in a lug extended upwards
from one end of a horizontal arm which is firmly secured to a table or bed plate.
The bent lever carries a counterweight on each of its limbs. The counterweights
are adjustable and are fitted with set screws to bind them in the positions to
which they may be adjusted. Usually they are adjusted so as to give an approxi-
mate balance whereby ease in working is obtained:
+
According to one arrangement of the appliance, the under face of that part of
the lever which is directly above the upper face of the horizontal arm is knife-
edged, grooved, dentated, or otherwise variously shaped. The upper face of the
horizontal arm is similarly shaped at the same intervals to correspond with the
under face aforesaid of the lever. The lever is operated by hand.
In using the apparatus, the iron, steel or other forging to be operated upon is,
after having been heated to the required degree, placed on the upper face of the
longitudinal arm and in that part shaped for the particular operation to be per-
formed. The limb of the lever above is then tilted down on the forging which
is thus cut, hammered, pressed or otherwise acted upon to assume the required
shape, pattern or configuration.
According to another arrangement of the appliance, and which arrangement is
preferred, the aforesaid faces of the lever limbs are not grooved, or dentated,
but are flat. They are recessed to take the stems of removable dies, blades or other
shaping tools made to fit into the recesses, and held therein by binding screws.
In either arrangement, a quadrantal guide for the lever may be fitted to the
apparatus:
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 represents,
in side elevation, one form of my improved hand forging apparatus. The
arrangement is that in which the operations are performed by means of removable
dies, blades or other shaping tools, in part carried by the operating lever and in
part by the horizontal arm. Fig. 2 is a plan of the appliance. Fig. 3 is a sectional
plan on the line c, x, Fig. 1. The side shown at Fig. 1 is that which is furthest
from the operator when the appliance is in use.
In the lug a of the horizontal arm 6 is pivotted or hinged a lever bent or shaped
to present two limbs c and c¹. In the example illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, the lever is pivotted by the pivot pin or bolt d passed through the lever
and through the lug a. The arm c is firmly secured to the table e. In the
example illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the appliance is secured to the
table e by bolts f and nuts f¹. It may, however, be otherwise fixed. The limb c
of the lever carries a counterweight 9 adjustable thereon by means of the binding
screws h. The limb of the lever also carries a counterweight gl
adjustable thereon by means of the binding screws h¹. The weight g
is preferably rather heavier than the weight g¹, but is not necessarily
In the example illustrated in the drawings the outer end of the arm c¹ is
2 feet 3 inches from the pivot centre, and the outer end of the arm c¹ is 3 feet
3 inches from the pivot centre. The weight g is 7334 lbs., and the weight g¹
So.
46 lbs.
The weights g, g₁ are respectively adjusted upon limbs c and c¹ respectively,
so as to afford such balance as to give ease in working the appliance.
The limb c¹ of the lever and the horizontal arm b are recessed at intervals to
receive the stems of dies or tools such as i and variously shaped according to
the operation they are required to effect. The tool i shown in the drawing is
for grooving or cutting a forging. The tool is for rounding. The tools are in
two parts, one part being held in the limb c¹ of the lever, and the other part in the
arm b. At Fig. 4 is shown an edge view of one-half of the tool i. Fig. 5 is a

page_text: similar view of one-half of the tool k. The tools or dies are removable. They are
clamped in place by means of the clamping screws
The appliance illustrated is fitted with a quadrantal guide m springing from the
arm b and passed through the limb c¹ of the lever to which it serves as a guide.
This guide may, however, be dispensed with.
The appliance, which is made of wrought iron or other suitable metal, is operated
in the manner following. The limb c of the lever is grasped in the right hand
of the operator and tilted upwards about the pivot d to the required extent.
The forging to be operated upon is, after having been sufficiently heated, then
laid on the lower half of the particular tool or die to the action of which it is to
be subjected. The limb c¹ of the lever is then returned downwards and the
forging is squeezed, hammered, cut or otherwise acted upon between the two
parts of the tool or die..
Instead of using removable tools or dies for the forging operations, the under
face of the limb c¹ of the lever may be variously shaped for the operations, and
the upper face of the arm 6 similarly shaped to correspond. In that case, the
limb of the lever is so arranged that it meets, when lowered, the upper face of
the arm b. there being no intervening dies or tools. Accordingly, the forging to
be operated upon is placed in the proper position between the shaping or cutting
places provided in the limb c¹ of the lever and the arm b. The limb c¹ is then
tilted down and the forging is cut, hammered or otherwise shaped to the required
configuration.
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. Improved hand forging apparatus consisting of a horizontal arm such as b
having pivotted thereto a bent or angular lever such as c, c¹, both the said arm and
the limb c of the lever being adapted to carry removable and adjustable dies or
tools such as i and k and the like; the lever carrying weights such as g, g¹ on its
respective limbs, and the arrangement being such that cutting, shaping or other
operation is effected on the forging by tilting the lever upwards for insertion
of the forging and then downwards on its pivot, so as to cause the forging to be
squeezed or impressed between the said dies or tools, substantially as herein before
described with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
2. The modification hereinabove set forth according to which, instead of employ-
ing removable dies or tools, the upper face of the arm b and the under face of the
limb c of the lever are both knife-edged, dentated, grooved or otherwise specially
shaped, correspondingly to one another and at the same intervals in each, sub-
stantially as hereinabove described.
Dated this 23rd day of Now 1808