provements in Apparatus for Forging and Finishing Balls, Projectiles, and other Articles having Circular Cross Sections.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1890
Complete Specification. Left, 6th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Apparatus for Forging and Finishing Balls,
Projectiles, and other Articles having Circular Cross Sections.
1, CHARLES FAIRBAIRN, of May Bank, Clarendon Road, Sale, in the County
of Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus employed for forging and for finishing balls
projectiles and other articles having circular cross sections and in which the con-
figuration of the article is produced by rolling the metal between two discs.
According to these improvements 1 employ two discs of equal or different
diameters each of which may be provided with a plane feeding rim and a spiral
The discs
groove or spiral grooves extending from the rim towards the centre.
are arranged in parallel horizontal planes, in an horizontal and an inclined plane
or in two planes at a sinall angle with each other and with the feeding rims and
spiral grooves on their contiguous faces. If the discs are co-axial, they may be
rotated in opposite directions or one of them may be rotated and the other
stationary.
I prefer however to arrange the discs slightly excentric to each other in which
case the discs should be rotated in opposite directions, and if used for forging, be
provided with feeding rims, in which case the arrangement of the grooves and the
motion of the discs will convey the article with a rolling and screwing motion along
the spiral grooves from the rim to the centre.
To enable the articles to be supplied to or to emerge from the centre, I leave or
provide an opening in or near the centre of one of the discs that is to say, if the
articles have to be fed to the apparatus from the centre, I provide a suitable
opening for feeding the blanks or forgings in and through the top disc, and if the
forgings or finished articles have to emerge from the centre i provide a suitable
opening in the centre of the bottom disc. When the discs are arranged for the
articles to be fed through an opening in the top disc I construct a groove in the
centre of the lower disc below the opening in such a manner as to lead the article
into the spiral channel between the discs.
The spiral groove or grooves in each case is or are shaped to one half of the
longitudinal section of the article to be produced; thus, if balls are required, the
grooves will be semi-circular in cross section.
Usually when producing spherical articles, I prefer to employ two sets of discs,
when they may be arranged one pair above the other and the upper pair may be
used for forging and the lower pair for finishing the articles and the central
openings will be respectively in the bottom disc of the top pair and the top disc
of the bottom pair. These two discs are mounted on the opposite ends of a hollow
shaft so that the forgings as they leave the top pair of discs will fall down through
the hollow shaft and thus be fed to the central part of the finishing discs, from
which they emerge at the periphery.
In the case of the forging discs having the feeding rims and being mounted
excentrically, a bar of metal of suitable cross section and preferably heated is
presented between the feeding rims by which it is seized and rolled forward with
a helical motion into the channel or one of the channels formed by the opposed
spiral grooves, the requirel length being cut off by the shearing action of the
commencements of the two spirals. The blank thus formed is then rolled with a
motion having two components and under pressure, and by the action of the rotation
of the discs is advanced towards the central opening, taking on the way the form of
the channel through which it is rolled.

page_text: The dises may be rotated as hereinbefore described by suitable gearing and they
may move upon adjustable wearing plates or similar surfaces arranged to be removed
and replaced at will.
When forging from bars of small diameters I may use an atmospheric gas burner
for heating them, the heat being applied close to the feeding rim.
Dated this 6th day of May A.D. 1890,
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Forging and Finishing Balls,
Projectiles, and other Articles having Circular Cross Sections.
1, CHARLES FAIRBAIRS, of May Bank, Clarenden Road, Sule, in the County
of Chester, 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 apparatus employed for forging and for finishing balls,
projectil, and other articles having circular sections and in which the form of
the article is produced by rolling the metal of which they are made between two
dises.
According to these improvements I employ, either for forging or for fini-hing,
two dise of equal or of inequal diameter, one of each of which has formed in its
working surface a pirel groove or spiral grooves from the periphery or rim
towards the centre. In operation, the spiral groove or spiral grooves give form
to the article or finish it, as the case may be, by the rotation of the dise or dises.
I will describe any invention with reference to the accompanying drawing», which
are hereinafter referred to.
Similar parts in each of the figures are denoted by similar letter of reference,
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side and an end elevation of a machine which
may be employed either for forging or for finishing.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively side and front elevations of a forging and
finishing machine.
Figure 5 is a vertical section through a pair of forging or finishing dises,
Figure 6 is a plan of the discs shown in Figure 5.
Figure 7 is n vertical section through a pair of forging or finishing disen,
Figure 8 is a plan of the dises shown in Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a vertical section through a pair of forging and a pair of finishing
dis, the nearer members of the two pairs of discs being secured upon and connected
by a hollow shaft.
Figure 10 is a plan of a disc having two spiral grooves shaped for forging and
finishing projectiles and similar articles with conoidal points.
Figure 11 is a transverse section of Figure 10.
A is the upper dise, and a is the lower disc in each pair. When their contiguous
or working faces are plane, they are arranged so that these plans are parallel as
shewn in Fig. 7, and when one of them is conical, they are arranged so that the
plane disc touches the conical one along a line as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, the axes
are then at a small angle to each other.
One of the discs of each pair is provided with an opening or openings at or near
the centre, through which blanks or forgings may be fed, or through which the
forgings or finished articles may escape. When there is only one spiral there is
only one such opening, as at B (Figures 3 and 7), and at B (Figure 9). When
there are two or more spirals there is one opening at the inner end of each spiral,
as in Figure 10. Openings for feeding blanks or forgings to the discs are formed
through the upper dise, those for the escape of the forgings or articles finished by
the discs are formed through the lower disc.

page_text: If the discs are to be fed from the rims, there is formed outside the spiral
groove of each disc a plane self-feeding rim C, as shown in the drawings (Figures 8
and 10).
The dises may be of equal or of unequal diameters, but if they are of unequal
diameters they must be arranged so that when the outer ends E of the grooves
pass each other during the rotation of the discs, they will always be in the same
vertical plane.
The discs may be co-axial or excentric. If they are co-axial they may either
be rotated in opposite directions at different velocities, or one of them may be
rotated and the other stationary, and they are fed with blanks or with forgings
through central openings in the upper disc by preference, although they may be
fed from the rim. These discs are not adapted to cut or shear the blanks for the
forgings from a bar or rod.
It is preferred to arrange the discs excentric to each other, as shown in
Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, in which case the discs should be rotated in opposite
directions at equal velocities, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 6. It is pre-
ferred also to arrange them so that their axes are at a small angle to each other, as
shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9. This arrangement enables any scale or
dust to be blown away or removed; it also compels the articles to advance from the
feeding rim to the centre, or from the centre to the rim, in a straight line, as shown
in Figures 5 and 8, which line is the line of nearest approach of the discs. The
outer end of this line is the feeding point F in the forging dises, and it is arranged
that the outer ends of the grooves E shall cross each other at this point during the
rotation of the discs, so that they may shear or cut off a blank from the end of a
heated bar (Figures 5, 6, 7, and 9) thrust between the feeding rims. The most
suitable amount of excentricity is from three to four diameters of the article to be
operated on, but the excentricity should be adjustable in order that the discs may
be moved relatively into the best position, and in order also that the amount of
excentricity may be varied on a change being made in the size of the discs.
If the discs are to be employed for finishing only, I prefer to employ discs of
different diameters as hereinbefore described, as by these a rubbing or polishing
action is induced in addition to the rolling motion. The feeding rims may be
omitted and the articles be fed through the centre of the upper disc.
When the discs are arranged for the articles to be fed through the upper disc. I
may construct a groove, central cone, or way, in the centre of the lower disc below
the opening in the upper disc, in such a manner as to guide the articles into the
spiral channel between the discs.
The spiral groove or grooves in each disc are shaped in cross section to one half
of the section of the article to be forged or finished; thus, if balls have to be
produced, the grooves will be semi-circular.
When the discs are rotated at equal speeds in opposite directions (which is the
preferred arrangement) the spirals in each disc are formed in the same direction,
that is to say, they are both right-handed or both left-handed, when viewed face
upwards, and both have a similar pitch and cross section in the grooves.
If they
are inclined to each other, I produce the contact from the rim to the centre by
forming one or both discs to a very flattened cone, as shown in Figure 5, where the
upper disc is so coned.
In the case of excentric discs inclined to each other, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, and 9, there is only one feeding point F at the rims, and the machine is fed
once per revolution for each spiral on one of the discs. In the case of the excentric
parallel discs (Figure 7), the machine may be fed with a bar at the rims, once per
revolution for each spiral. If they are concentric they may be fed with a bar at
the edge or with blanks or forgings at the centre twice per revolution for each spiral.
In some cases, as for example, for forging or for finishing cylindrical articles and
cones, it is obvious that the spiral groove may be formed wholly in one of the discs,
the other dise being perfectly plain, but it is preferred in all cases to make the spiral
in each disc as hereinbefore described.

page_text: In constructing the dises, I prefer to form the spiral grooves on a steel facing,
which is secured to a disc keyed upon or forged with the shaft, as shown in
Figure 5, 6, 7, and 9.
I do not confine myself to any particular form or construction of machine in
which the discs may be employed for the purposes of this invention, as it is
obvious that a great variety of designs and combinations may be prudneed, but I
have illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, two forms of machine which will he
foul to meet most requirements,
Figures 1 and 2 represent a machine which may be arranged either for forging
or for finishing as may be desired.
In this machine the lower dise a is firmly keyed or forged upon the hollow
shaft D. and the upper dise A is similarly secured or formed upon the shaft G,
which is slightly inclined to and excentric with the shaft D. (Figures 3 and 6.)
The opening in the lower disc communicate with the interior of the hollow shaft D),
the lower end of which open into a hos or receptacle I formed in the base of the
machine. The dises ere driven in contrary directions at equal speeds from the fir-t
pull through the bevel gearing and the wheels K&n. The machine
1. fed from the front. If the machine is desired to be fed from the centre, the
upper left will be hollow and the lower one solid, and blank, or forgings will
through the upper shaft and delivered from the rims of the dise
The rehine represented by Figur 3 and is intended for simultaneously
forging to finishing: the forging being offected by means of the upper pair of
dise the finishing by the lower pair. The dies are arranged excentric and at
angles to each other as before describet with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The
lower di of the upper pair and the upper dises of the lower pair are respectively
secured to or formed upon the oppuat ends of a hollow hatt d. n. separately
shown in detail by Figure 9. The two dises have central openings commannicating
with that. rior of the hollow shaft, so that a ich which have been forged in
the up pair will descend through the luft to the lower pair, between which they
are received and rolled outwards to the rim, whenre they fall into any suitable
receiver.
The dies are driven from the fist pulley through the level wheels dj, of
which the lower one is fixed upon the shaft M, and the upper me upon a sleeve
upon which the wheel K is also fixed. On the shaft I there are fixed the
wheel Kand, of which K gears with the wheel Lou the shaft of the upper
dise of the upper pair, and the wheel with the wheel on the shaft of the lower
dise of the lower pair. The wheel K gears with the wheel L on the hollow shaft d,
upon which the lower disc of the upper pair and the upper dise of the lower pair
are formal or secured. The wheels K, K', and & are equal, and K is rotated in
one direction by the wheel J, while K and are rotated in the opposite direction
by the wheel at equal rates of speed. The wheels 1, L. and 7 are also equal,
and it follow that the dises seeuroil to the hollow shaft are rotated in one direction
whilst the other discs are rotated at the same speed in the opposite direction. It
follows also, that all the spiral- being in the same direction, the upper dises will
feed from the rim inwards to the centre, and the lower dises from the centre
outwards to the rim.
The articles are forged between the upper pair of discs and fall through the
hollow shaft into the centre of the lower pair of discs, whence they are traversed
by the rotation of the grooves to the rim, being finished during their passage. I
will he understood that the grooves in the forging discs are made slightly largora
than those in the finishing dises.
Elongated projectiles and similar articles are forged and finished at one operation
by a single pair of dises. If they are desired to be rifled or fluted, they are forged
from bars or blanks which have been previously rifled or fluted, and the action of
the dise will be limited to the formation of the conoidal points or other circular
parts.
With the discs arranged as repre ented in Figures 1 and 3-that is to say,

page_text: pass
excentric and inclined-the articles are cut off from a suitable bar of metal by the
action of the two ends E of the spiral grooves in the opposed discs, which
cach other at every revolution in a vertical plane, which is perpendicular to a line
joining the centres of the discs (Figure 6.) The action of the discs draws in the
bar between the rims towards the centre between each severance of the bar. If
the bars require heating, as is generally the case, and they are of comparatively
large diameter, they may be heated in any suitable furnace, but in the case of bars
of small diameter it is advisable to employ a special heating appartus close to the
rims. This may conveniently consist of a bar gas-burner arranged in a line under
the bar and close to the rims of the discs.
In all other cases than that last described with reference to Figures 1 and 3, it
will be most convenient to feed the discs with blanks or forgings through the centre
of the upper disces, as even when the feeding could be effected from the rims, it
would be very difficult to time the feeding properly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for forging or for finishing balls, projectiles, and other malleable
articles having circular cross sections, a pair of discs having a spiral groove or
spiral grooves formed upon their contiguous faces, the cross section of each of the
grooves corresponding to one half the section of the article to be forged or finished,
and one of the discs having a central opening or openings for the admission of the
article fed thereto, or for the escape of the forged or finished article, substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine for forging or for finishing cylindrical, conical, and similar
malleable articles, a pair of contiguous discs, one of which has a spiral groove or
spiral grooves formed upon its face, and one of which also has an opening or
openings near its centre for the admission of the forged articles or blanks fedl
thereto, or for the escape of the forged or finished articles, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In a machine for forging or for finishing balls, projectiles, and other malleable
articles having circular cross sections, the combination and arrangement with a
pair of discs having a spiral groove or spiral grooves in their contiguous faces and
an opening or openings in the central part of the lower disc, of a hollow shaft
having its hollow part in communication with the opening or openings in the lower
disc, and suitable gearing for rotating one of the discs only, or for rotating both
of the discs in opposite directions, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. In a machine for forging and for finishing balls, projectiles, and other malleable
articles having circular transverse sections, the combination and arrangement with
two pairs of discs having a spiral groove or spiral grooves in their contiguous faces,
and a central opening or central openings in the lower dise of the upper pair anl
the upper disc of the lower pair, of a hollow shaft having the lower dise of the
upper pair and the upper disc of the lower pair secured thereon, and having also
its hollow part in communication with the openings in the respective discs, and
suitable gearing for rotating the two discs fixed upon the hollow shaft in one
direction, and the other two dises in the opposite direction at an equal speel.
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 5th day of February A.D. 1891.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.