IMPROVEMENT IN TOOLS FOR FINISHING METALLIC AXLE BLANKS.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hamlet Edwin Forrest, of Boston, of the State
of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENT IN TOOLS FOR FINISHING METALLIC AXLE
BLANKS.
"
Sealed the 15th April 1873, and dated the 18th February 1873
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Hamlet Edwin Forrest,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 18th February 1873, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, HAMLET EDWIN FORREST, of Boston, of the State of
Massachusetts, of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENT
IN TOOLS FOR FINISHING METALLIC AXLE BLANKS," and have petitioned Her
Majesty Queen Victoria, to grant unto me, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have
made solemn Declaration that I am the true and first Inventor
thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hamlet Edwin Forrest, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to an improvement in mechanism for forming
the journals, collars, etc. upon metallic axle blanks.
Heretofore in the formation or finishing of axle journals upon the
swaged or forged metallic blanks by means of a lathe, the axle blank
has been reduced, and the journal formed by means of a narrow tool,
or series of tools consecutively employed, and fixed to a tool stock
having compound movements, that is, motion both transversely and
longitudinally of the axis of the lathe arbor. In order to reduce the
parts to the desired shape, the workman was not only obliged. to
frequently stop and caliper or measure the journal as the reduction
took place, but also to stop and shift or gauge the tool for each change
in the form of the journal. Under this method great care and skill
were required to render the journals and their collars, etc., of one
standard uniform size, and the result has been that by such process
only an approximation to a uniformity has been attained.
"
The object of my Invention is to produce a means by which a novice
in the art of working or turning" metal can reduce axle blanks, or
turn any given number of journals, with their collars, etc., of one
unvarying form and shape, with the greatest certainty and ease, and
with a very great saving in both time and labor, and my Invention
consists,-
First. In a peculiar shaped lathe tool, having its edge so formed as
to reduce metallic axle blanks to the desired form, or in other words
to produce the journals, collars, etc., by a single operation of the tool.
Second. In the peculiar arrangement and application of two or more
of such tools, as herein-after described, whereby each tool in succession
acts upon the blank, and thereby a most perfect finish and polish to
the reduced parts is ensured.
In the Drawings, Figure 1 denotes a top view of my improvement,
as applied to a lathe; Figure 2 a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is
an end view of the shoe or cutter carrier, and its cutters; Figure 4

page_text: is an edge view of one of the cutters or tools; and Figures 5 & 6,
ends views thereof.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings, A denotes the axle or journal
blank, as affixed to the arbor of an ordinary lathe. B is a shoe or cutter
carrier, which is a rectangular plate of metal having dovetailed grooves
formed therein to receive the cutters C, C³, C', which are to be firmly
secured to the shoe, or carrier, but so as to be readily removed there-
from for sharpening or replacement, as may be necessary.
These
cutters are blocks of steel, each having a flat top surface with a cutting
edge on its front face, such edge bevelling upward. Each of the
cutters has a compound inclination longitudinally; one (viz., O) being
to cause the edge of the tool to cut with a drawing stroke, and present
only a small portion of the edge to act on the metal to be reduced at
one time, and the other incline (P) being to impart to the journal
the requisite degree of taper; the length of each cutter should
correspond with that of the portion of the blank to be reduced. The
edge of the cutter is formed with two depressions, a and b, the former
to produce a collar upon the inner end of the journal, and the latter
It also has a
a reinforce or strengthening band contiguous thereto.
projecting part c formed near one end thereof, the same being to
reduce the nut receiving part.
"
The cutter or cutters shown in the Drawing produces or ❝ turns a
journal, etc., of the ordinary construction as used in most light carriages.
But it is evident that in forming a journal without a reinforce, and
of a regular taper, the depression 6 of the cutter might be dispensed.
with.
In carrying out my Invention, either one, two, or three of the cutters
may be employed.
When a single cutter is used, the cutter after having been formed of
the required shape, to impart the desired form to the journal, is to be
firmly fixed to the carrier so arranged as to slide upon the bed of the
lathe, the cutting edge of the cutter being set and fixed at such an
altitude with respect to the forging or axle blank that the cutter after
having acted on the blank and reduced the same to the required form
shall slide freely underneath the finished journal. The cutter may be
moved or fed up to the blank to be reduced, either automaticly or by
means of a screw operated by manuel power, as may be desirable. By:

page_text: thus forming the cutter, and locating it so as to move on a fixed
determinate plane, with respect to the axis of the lathe arbor, that is
so that when the journal is formed the cutter will pass freely under the
same, a most perfect uniformity in the size of the journals, collars, etc.,
of the axles is attained.
In carrying out my Invention by the employment of the three cutters
C, C¹, C³, as shown, the cutters are to be of the same form and size, and
so arranged in their carriers that their ends shall stand and move in the
same vertical planes, their cutting surfaces not being disposed on the
same horizontal plane, the cutter C being slightly lower than the
cutters C¹, and C2, the latter two being on the same determinate fixed
plane as that just described when a single cutter only is employed,
so that when the journal has reached the required size the cutters will
pass freely under the same. By this arrangement the cutter C first
acts upon the blank, and gives to the journal its form and approxomate
size, the cutter C¹ following still further reduces the blank and imparts to
the journal its requisite size, the cutter C³ simply removing any
imperfections occasioned by any defect of the last cutter, and imparting
a smoothe and polished surface to the reduced portions.
I would remark that two cutters only may be employed if desirable,
the rear or smoothing cutter being dispensed with, but by the employ-
ment of three as described the labor of reducing the blank is almost
wholly confined to the two foremost ones, the latter acting simply as
a smoother and finisher, and thereby ensuring a most perfect uniformity,
smoothness, and finish of the reduced parts.
In operating with my improved tool or tools the same are to be so
arranged that the part or parts for forming the smaller end of the
journal is first caused to impinge against the blank, the cutter or
cutters gradually advancing reduces such part to the required shape,
passing under the same and allowing fresh portions of the cutting edge
to act upon the blank, reduce and pass under the same until the entire
reduction of the blank has taken place, the cutter or cutters operating
with a continuous drawing stroke during its or their entire action.
Having described my Invention, what I claim is,—
H
I
1
1 11
0
11°

page_text: shape to the journal end of the axle at one operation of the tool, the
same being substantially as set forth.
2. The arrangement of two or more tools or cutters formed as
described with respect to each other, and the axis of the lathe, in the
manner and for the purpose stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hamlet Edwin Forrest, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 4th day of February, 1873.
HAMLET EDWIN FORREST. (L.S.)