Improvements in Machinery and Appliances to be used in connection with the Manufacture of Hubs for the Wheels of Cycles and Carriages
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery and Appliances to be used in connection
with the Manufacture of Hubs for the Wheels of Cycles and
Carriages
We, HENRY JAMES BROOKES, a Director of Brookes Cycle Company, Limited,
of Cape Cycle Works, Cape Hill, near the City of Birmingham, and ALFRED
BENJAMIN DAVIS, of 6, Bacchus Road, Winson Green, near Birmingham aforesaid,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery and appliances for producing the bands,
shells or body parts of hubs for the wheels of cycles and road vehicles, by first
forming outward annular beadings, bulgings or swells near the ends of seamless
tubular blanks and which swells or beadings are subsequently up-set, collapsed or
closed together by end or equivalent pressure to form the outstanding annular
spoke flanges of the said, hubs.
One part of such machinery or appliances consists essentially of a rotating
mandril connected at one end by a chuck, clamp or other device to a suitably
mounted and driven spindle, and having a pair of bulbs upon it, separated from.
one another to an extent corresponding to the distance between the bulgings
or swells to be formed in the tubular blank, and arranged parallel with and above
or below the said mandril is a corresponding annularly grooved or channelled
outside roller, with journals or equivalents working in a frame raised and lowered
or made to approach to or recede from the said mandril by a rotating screw
mounted in a suitable frame and with the lower end swivelling in a carrier of the
said outer roll and with the other and upper end or other part passing through
a screw box in the frame and terminating in a hand wheel or lever arms which,
on being rotated, draws up the screw and brings the roller near to the mandril
and the walls of a tubular blank (which has been threaded upon the said mandril)
are nipped at points coming opposite the annular channels of the roll, when by
further advancing the said roll, the metal at the said parts is gradually expanded
and rolled out into outstanding bulgings, beadings or swells, this process being
continued until the inside surfaces of the metal at the swell parts correspond in
shape to the outer configuration of the mandril bulbs, whilst in outside con-
figuration they correspond to the inside shape of the roller grooves.
Instead of employing a screw for bringing up the rollers I may use a rack and
pinion, a system of levers or other suitable mechanical means for giving the
required movement.
The roller may be stationary while the bulbed mandril may be made to approach
or recede from the same in any suitable way, and this movement may be effected
automatically and be timed so as to intermittently feed in the tubular blank,
bring together the mandril and roller, spin or form the beadings, cause the roller
to retire and then for a knocker-out to advance and remove the partly fashioned
blank from the mandril.
The walls of these bulbs or swellings near the ends of this partly fashioned

page_text: blank are then closed together or collapsed to form the annular spoke flanges by
advancing hollow or solid plungers exercising an end pressure upon the metal of
the tube, whilst the inside walls of the tube are supported by a mandril either
carried by the plunger or formed separately.
The machinery for carrying out this last named process may consist of a
horizontal frame supported by a bed carrying at its two opposite ends, uprights
or bearings wherein crank axles or shafts are made to turn or rotate, with the
cranks connected by a ball joint (or otherwise) and communicating motion to a
pair of slippers or reciprocating carriers which move to and fro upon the bed and
are guided by the top of the frame, whose middle part has a screw box, wherethrough
a rising and falling screw, operated by a handle wheel at its upper end and carrying
and being swivelly connected at its lower end, to the upper part or section of a
horizontally split die, passes. This upper part of the split die rises and falls within
guides, whilst the lower part, which is stationary, is carried within a bed or holder.
The split die is of a length equal to the distance between the bulgings or of the
hub blanks, and its bore is of an internal diameter equal to the outside diameter
of the waist of the said blanks, whilst fitted within the slippers and in axial line
with the bore of the split die are hollow plungers, each consisting of a cylindrical
sleeve, made fast within the slipper and with a flanged end coming at the back
and an open mouth presented to the front, or that part facing the split die. The
open mouth may be formed of a greater internal diameter than the bulge, so as
to slide and be guided over a corresponding end portion of the split die, whilst the
thrust or end pressure for upsetting the bulgings is effected to an inside annular
shoulder, whilst the blank under operation is internally supported by a mandril.
Thus on the cranks being made to rotate in opposite directions the slippers
approach each other or towards the ends of the split die when the bulged and
unsupported parts near both ends of the blank are collapsed or crushed up between
the opposed faces of die and plunger on the said slippers coming full home. This
done, the slippers retire or make a back movement, leaving the blank with the
spoke-flanges formed thereon, within the die, the upper part of which is lifted
and the barrel or other hub thus made is removed.
It is understood that it is not necessary for the sleeves or plungers to take over
the ends of necks upon the die, as the crushing up of the unsupported bulgings of
the blank may be effected simply between the opposed ends of the sleeve plungers
and the split die.
As another modification, the upsetting of the bulgings may be effected by
carrying the bulb-formed blank by a chuck or holder and then closing the said
swells by a progressive movement of rollers carried by a frame turning upon a
back swivel and making a slight angular movement. On the rotation of the blank,
the rollers are made to progressively force together or collapse the walls of the
bulge into a vertical flange. In this method, only one bulging is collapsed at
the same time, and although I have described, in the former arrangement, the
collapsing of two bulges at the same time, yet it is understood that only one bulging
may be upset at the same time.
15th If Wanah 1907
HENRY JAMES BROOKES,
ALFRED BENJAMIN DAVIS.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery and Appliances to be used in connection
with the Manufacture of Hubs for the Wheels of Cycles and
Carriages.
We, HENRY JAMES BROOKES, a Director of Brookes Cycle Company, Limited,
of Cape Cycle Works, Cape Hill, near the City of Birmingham, and ALFRED
BENJAMIN DAVIS, of 6, Bacchus Road, Winson Green, near Birmingham aforesaid,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to machinery and appliances for producing the barrels,
shells or body parts of hubs for the wheels of cycles and road vehicles and by first
forming outward annular beadings, bulgings or swells near the ends of seamless
tubular blanks and which swells or beadings are subsequently up-set, collapsed or
closed together by end or equivalent pressure to form the outstanding annular
spoke flanges of the said hubs.
One part of such machinery or appliances consists essentially of a rotating
mandril connected at one end by a chuck clamp or other device to a suitably
mounted and driven spindle, and having a pair of bulbs upon it, separated from
one another to an extent corresponding to the distance between the bulgings
or swells to be formed in the tubular blank under operation. The said bulbs are
of less external diameter than the bore of the said tubular blank, and arranged
parallel with and above or below the said mandril is a corresponding annularly
grooved or channelled outside roller, with journals or equivalents working in a
frame raised and lowered or made to approach to or recede from the said mandril
by a rotating screw mounted in a suitable frame and with the lower end swivelling
in a carrier of the said outer roll and with the other and upper end or other part
passing through a screw box in the frame and terminating in a hand wheel or
lever arms which, on being rotated, draws up the screw and brings the roller
near to the mandril and the walls of a tubular blank (which has been threaded
upon the said mandril) are nipped at points coming opposite the annular channels
of the roll, when by further advancing the said roll, the metal at the said parts
is gradually expanded and rolled out into outstanding bulgings, beadings or swells,
this process being continued until the inside surfaces of the metal at the swell
parts correspond in shape to the outer configuration of the mandril bulbs, whilst
in outside configuration they correspond to the inside shape of the roller grooves.
Instead of employing a screw for bringing up the rollers, we may use a rack and
pinion, a system of levers or other suitable mechanical means for giving the
required movement.
The roller may be stationary whilst the bulbed mandril may be made to approach
or recede from the same in any suitable way, and this movement may be effected
automatically and be timed so as to intermittently feed in the tubular blank,
bring together the mandril and roller, spin or form the beading, cause the roller
to retire and then for a knocker-out to advance and remove the partly fashioned
blank from the mandril.
The aforesaid apparatus for forming annular beadings on the tubular blanks

page_text: is fully described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to one of the
present applicants, viz. No. 17070 of 1896.
The walls of these bulbs or swellings near the ends of this partly fashioned
blank are then closed together or collapsed to form the annular spoke flanges by
advancing hollow or solid plungers exercising an end pressure upon the metal of
the tube, whilst the inside walls of the tube are supported by a mandril either
carried by the plunger or formed separately, and it is to this portion of the process
and the machinery employed in connection therewith that our present invention
particularly relates.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents partly in elevation and partly
in vertical section, a machine for forming the spoke flanges of wheel hubs by
simultaneously collapsing or closing together the walls of annular swells, bulging
or beadings of a tubular blank, said bulgings having been formed by a previous
operation or process. This view shows the parts of the machine in the positions
they assume previous to a beaded blank being placed therein.
Figure 2 is a section upon an enlarged scale, of the operating parts of the
machine, but showing the blank in position and the bulgings collapsed to form
the flanges.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the acting parts of the machine upon the same
scale as Figure 2, showing the blank in position within the holding die, and with
the plungers retired or before making their forward strokes for collapsing the
bulgings.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of one of the plungers, separately, and Figure 5
represents the dis-assembled component parts of the same, in section and in
elevation.
Figure 6 represents, in side elevation and end elevation, the sections of the
holding die between which the blank is held whilst being operated upon and
Figure 7 represents the said halves of the holding die in end elevation and vertical
section, and separated from one another.
Figure S is a separate elevation, and a vertical section of the blank holding
dies, and their frame or support, upon the same scale as Figure 1.
Figure 9 is an elevation and a section, of the framing of the blank holder, with
the dies removed.
Figure 10 represents in front and a side elevation, one of the traversing slippers
carrying the acting plunger showing the dovetail bottom gap or saddle which takes
over the correspondingly formed bed of the machine and guides the said plunger
in its reciprocating traverse.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
The said machine consists of a horizontal frame a, supporting a bed plate a¹,
carrying at its opposite ends, upright brackets or bearings a², wherein rotating
crank axles b, geared so as to turn together and at the same speed by intermeshing
spur wheels 6, 62, on their ends, one of which is in connection with the driving
shaft or gearing, are mounted.
The cranks 3, are connected, preferably by means of rods 64, having spherical
or ball ends 65, working within adjustable sockets 66, to, and communicate motion
to, a pair of slippers or reciprocating carriers c, which move to and from upon the
bed and are guided thereon at bottom by the dovetail edges c¹, of the saddles c³,
and also at top by the bar a, of the frame, taking into the gaps ³, whilst the
middle part of the said bar has formed within it, a screw box at, wherethrough
a rising and falling screw d, operated by a hand wheel d¹, at its upper end and
carrying and being swivelly connected, at its lower end d³, to the upper part or
movable section e¹ of a horizontally split blank holding die a, passes. This upper
part of the split die is directed in its rising and falling movement by sliding on ribs
or guides e, on the sides of the frame or holder e mounted across the middle of
bed plate, whilst the lower section or part e2, is stationary and is carried by, and

page_text: made a fixture to the said frame or holder. The split die has recesses e6, in its
ends, the faces of which form the acting parts and which recesses, are filled up
by the spoke flanges when formed, whilst the said die is of a length equal to the
distance between the bulgings or annular swellings f¹, of the hub blank f, and its
bore is of an internal diameter equal to the outside diameter of the waist part f³,
of the said blank which is placed between the dies and there clamped and held
rigidly whilst being operated on by closing down the said dies through the screw.
and hand wheel, whilst fitted or secured to the opposed faces c, of the slippers
and in axial line with the bore of the split die, are hollow plungers g, each con-
sisting of a cylindrical sleeve g¹, made fast to the slipper, and with a flanged
end g², coming at the back and an open mouth g³, presented to the front, or that
part facing the split die. The open mouth may be formed of a greater internal
diameter than the bulge, so as to take and slide or be guided over corresponding
and extending end portions e³, of the split die sections, whilst the thrust or end
pressure for upsetting the bulgings is effected by an inside annular shoulder or
bush die g³, secured by pins 96, or otherwise to the body of the plunger and
surrounding the mandril 7, by which blank under operation is internally supported.
Thus on the cranks being made to rotate in opposite directions the slippers are
made to approach each other or towards the ends of the split die when the bulged
and unsupported parts near both ends of the blank are collapsed or crushed up
between the opposed annular faces or acting ends e6, 910, of the die sections and
plungers on the said slippers coming full home, the blank being then fully supported
internally by the mandrils g', whose ends g¹¹, come together at the middle of the
bore of the said blank, whilst the shoulders g¹³, thereon come against the extreme
outer ends f³, of the blank with the portions outwards of the flanges f, coming in
the spaces 13, between the mandrils and the encircling bush dies g. This done,
the slippers retire or make a back movement, leaving the blank with the said
spoke-flanges f, formed thereon, within the die, the upper part of which is lifted
and the barrel or other hub thus made is removed.
It is understood that it is not necessary for the sleeves or plungers to take over
the ends of necks upon, or extending parts of, the die, as the crushing up of the
unsupported bulgings of the blank may be effected simply between the opposed
acting ends of the sleeve or bush dies and the split holding die.
Although we have described, in the former arrangement, the simultaneous
collapsing of two bulges yet it is understood that only one bulging may be upset
at the same time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
First In the production of wheel hubs from tubular blanks, forming the spoke
or equivalent flanges by collapsing annular bulgings of the said blank between
dies, consisting of a split or divided middle holding part and two advancing and
retiring outside acting parts, each of which has a plunger within acting shoulder
or impingement surrounding a mandril or internal support,, between which and
the said acting part is an annular. space wherein the ends of blanks, outwards of
the bulgings, come and are confined, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly-Producing single or double flanges upon wheel hubs by the im-
proved means and in the way substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly: In machinery for producing the flanges of wheel hubs by simul-
taneously operating upon and collapsing previously formed annular bulgings of
a tubular blank, the combination with a split or sectional blank-holding die, and
advancing and retiring plungers, having acting shoulders or equivalents surround-
ing mandrils or internal supports for the blank, of slippers or reciprocating
plungers, carrying the said plungers and traversing and being guided on a suitable

page_text: bed, and with motion communicated to the same from shafts driven in opposite
directions by gear, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 15th day of December 1897.
HENRY JAMES BROOKES,.
ALFRED BENJAMIN DAVIS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.