IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF CRANK SHAFTS FROM ROUND OR SQUARE IRON OR STEEL
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph. Lee, of the City of Lincoln, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF CRANK SHAFTS FROM
ROUND OR SQUARE IRON OR STEEL."
Sealed the 21st August 1860, and dated the 25th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lee, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
February 1860.
I, JOSEPH LEE, of the City of Lincoln, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF CRANK SHAFTS
FROM ROUND OR SQUARE IRON OR STEEL," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in manufacturing crank shafts from round or square
bars of iron or steel, in a machine of the following construction, namely, a
vertical platform or table which is made to rise and fall the depth of the throw
of the crank to be made; upon this platform are two blocks, which move
inwards and upwards at the same time as the platform is rising, thereby
producing an elliptical motion. Upon these two blocks are placed moulds of
any size according to the size of the bar to be bent or shaped; these moulds
are so arranged as to move past each other at the bottom, so as to form the
bottom of the crank at the same time as the sides thereof are being formed.
When the bar is first put in, the top part of the moulds are raised a little for

page_text: the purpose of taking in a greater amount of metal to the top corners of the
crank, when after the crank is. formed thus far, having been brought up to
the centre piece, which forms the inside of the crank, the aforesaid moulds are
then let down into their places again, leaving the metal they have raised when
the blocks come to a stand; after this operation is performed a large block
having two projections is caused to be brought down on each side of the centre
piece, which crushes the metal that has been previously raised by the moulds
down on to the moulds again, and at the same time making the corners square;
the centre piece is made in four parts so as to allow it to be made wider or
narrower as may be required; this centre piece is fixed when the crank is being
formed, and is moved only as it is required to make the opening of the crank
more or less. The above machine is adapted for the manufacture of locomotive
or large cranks.
•
A machine adapted for smaller cranks is made as follows:-The centre pieco
being fixed, the aforesaid blocks are made to move up an inclined plane
bringing the bar úp until they come up to the centre piece where they come
to a stand similar to the large machine, when a motion at the top in connec-
tion with a similar one at the bottom, and being made to move at the same
time, brings the bottom corners up at the same time that the top part is
pressing the top corners down, the moulds having been first raised to allow of
metal necessary to bring the corners up square as in the before-mentioned
large machine. After the crank has been formed, as above stated, it is removed
from the machine and heated on one side where collars are to be formed, after
which it is placed on a block made to suit the inside or outside of the crank,
and being securely fastened down clams or clips are placed upon the parts
intended to be crushed to form collars; these clams or clips with the blocks
(which hold the crank in position while the collars are being formed,) are
made to slide freely along two bars that have threads cut upon them in order
to allow the blocks and clams to be moved at pleasure. These bars are
supported by two cast-iron standards suitable for the purpose.
The above
machinery can be put in motion by any power that may be most desirable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Lee, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1860.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Lee, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Lee, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Lee, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF CRANK SHAFTS FROM ROUND OR SQUARE
IRON OR STEEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Lec, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immo-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Lee, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The machine consists of a vertical platform or table, which is made to rise
and fall the depth of the throw of crank to be made. Upon this platform are
two blocks, which move upwards and inwards at the same time as the platform
is rising, thereby forming an elliptical motion. Upon these two blocks moulds
are placed of any size according to the size of bar required to be bent. These
moulds are so arranged as to move past each other at the bottom, so as to form
the bottom of the crank at the same time as the sides are being formed.
When the bar is first put in, the top parts of the moulds are raised a little for
the purpose of taking in a greater amount of metal to the top corners of the
crank. When after the crank is brought up to the centre piece which forms
the inside of the crank these moulds are let down into their places again
leaving the metal they have raised, when the blocks become stationary. After
this operation is performed a large block having two projections is caused to
be brought down on each side of the centre piece which crushes the metal
that has been raised by the moulds down on to the moulds again, and at the
time making the corners of the crank square; the centre piece is made
am

page_text: in four parts so as to allow it to be made wider or narrower as may be
required; this centre piece is fixed when the crank is being formed and is
moved only, as it is required to make the opening of the crank more or less.
The above machine is for locomotive or large cranks.
Figure 1 of the Drawings shews a side view of a machine constructed as
above described, and the parts of the machine are in the position they assume
when a crank has been formed. a, a, is a vertical plate forming part of the
framing of the machine; b, b, is a table or platform which is capable of
rising and falling; the back of this table works against the plate a, and it is
kept against the plate by the guides c, c, fixed to the plate a; these guides
project beyond the legs or projections 6', 6', of the table b, and so prevent the
table from moving away from the plate. On the table 6 are two sliding
blocks d, d, which are capable of sliding horizontally along the table; the
sliding blocks d, d, are kept in their position by guides 62, fixed on the table b;
on the table b is the bottom part e of the mould for forming the cranks, the
sliding blocks d, d, also carry parts of the mould, as shewn; the upper part e¹
of each of the portions of the mould carried by the blocks turns on a hinge
in order that these parts of the mould may, when the bar is being lent to
form the crank, be slightly raised so as to form a larger bend than is required
for the throw of the crank, and that these parts of the mould may be then
lowered so that the excess of metal in the bend may be forced into the
corners of the mould, and so bring the crank to the requisite form; this is
accomplished by a block e, having connected to its under side two projecting.
pieces e³, one of which comes over each of the parts e¹ of the mould; the
under sides of these two projections are hollowed out to fit the bar to be bent;
the block e² can rise and fall vertically between guides a², projecting from the
plate a, and this movement is given to it by an excentric on the axis m. On
this axis there is a toothed wheel, not shewn in the Drawing, and motion is
communicated to this wheel at the time required by a pinion on the axis of
which there are two fast and two loose pullies, for a straight and a crossed
band; this pinion and axis are not shewn in the Drawing; f, f, is the centre
piece of the mould; this piece is divided into two parts, as shewn, the upper
end of each of these parts slides in a groove in the under side of the block f¹,
and the parts are held together by the right and left-handed screw f; the
block is carried by a screw f³, from the piece a', projecting from the
plate a, so that by turning this screw the block, and consequently the centre
piece of the mould may be raised or lowered, and by this means the machine
may be adjusted to form cranks with a greater or less amount of throw. The
width of the bend of the crank may also be varied by turning the screw f², so

page_text: as either to bring the parts of the centre piece f closer together or force them
further apart; g is a filling piece placed between the two parts; this filling
piece is changed for every different width of crank. The table b is caused to
rise and fall by two excentrics h, h, on the axes h¹, h¹; the front ends of these
axes are carried by bearings on the plate a, and the bearings for the rear
ends of the axes are carried by a frame at a distance from the back of the
plate a, and on each of the axes is a toothed wheel i, the two wheels i, i,
gearing with each other, so that when one of the axes h', turns, the other is
caused to turn also. Motion is communicated to one of the wheels i, by a
pinion, one end of the axis k¹ of which is carried by the plate a, and the
other by the frame at the back of the plate; on the axis are two fast and
two loose pullies for a straight and crossed band, so that motion may be
communicated to it in either direction; on each of the axes h¹ there is also
an excentric h; these excentrics, when the axes h¹ are rotated, give a to-and-
fro movement to the sliding blocks d, d. The excentrics h and h² are formed
with slots, so that they can be set more or less excentric to the shafts h², h'.
The excentrics, and the toothed and other wheels, carried by the axes h' and k¹,
are all at the back of the plato a. In forming a crank with this machine the
table bis brought to its lowest position, and the bar to be bent is placed
between the stops 1, 1, on the sliding blocks d; these stops are made moveable,
the tops of the blocks d being formed with holes at distances apart; into any
of which the stops 1, 1, may be placed; wedges or filling pieces are placed
under the parts e, of the mould, which are carried by the sliding blocks d so
as slightly to raise them. The axis k¹ is then caused to rotate in such manner
as to cause the excentrics h and 2, to lift the table 6, and at the same time to
draw the sliding blocks d towards each other; the band which was driving the
axis is then moved on to its loose pulley so that the parts of the mould
remain stationary; the wedges or filling pieces under the parts e of the mould
are then removed, and the axis m is caused to rotate so as to cause the
projections on the block to descend on to the bar and force it on to the
moulds, and at the same time to press the metal into the corners of the mould,
and so make the corners of the crank square. The parts of the mould are
then caused to separate, and the crank is removed.
A machine for smaller cranks is made as follows:-The centre piece of the
mould being fixed, as in the machine before described, the blocks which carry
the side portions of the mould are each made to slide up an inclined plane, so
that when moved towards each other they shall rise at the same time, and
when they have been moved up to the centre piece they remain stationary,
similar to the sliding blocks in the machine before described. The upper

page_text: portions of the parts of the mould carried by the sliding blocks are arranged
to turn upon a hinge, so that when bending the bar they may be raised by
means of a wedge or otherwise, so as to make a greater bend in the bar than
is required for the throw of the crank; the wedges are then removed, and a
block carrying the top of the mould, and a block carrying the bottom of the
mould, are simultaneously moved towards each other, so as to complete the
mould and press the metal into the top and bottom corners of the mould, and
by this means form the corners of the crank square. Motion may
be given
to the blocks carrying the different portions of the mould by means of excen-
trics or otherwise. After the crank has been formed as above it is removed
from the machine, and heated on one side, where collars are to be formed, after
which it is placed on a block made to suit the inside or outside of the crank,
and, being securely fastened down, clamps or straps are placed upon the parts
to be crushed into collars; these clamps or straps, with the blocks which hold
the crank in position while the collars are being formed, are made to slide
freely along two bars which have threads cut upon them in order to move and
set them at pleasure; these bars are supported by cast-iron standards suitable
for the purpose. The above machinery can be put in motion by any power
that may be most suitable.
Figure 2 is a plan view of a machine constructed as above described. a is a
shaft, on which are two fast and two loose pullies, for a straight and a crossed
band so that the shaft may be turned in either direction; on this shaft there
is a pinion b, which gears with a toothed wheel c, on the shaft d; this shaft is
supported in the bearings e, e', and on the portion of the shaft which projects
beyond the bearing e¹, there is a screw thread which screws into a female
screw in the block f, so that when the shaft d is rotated, the block f will be
moved in one or other direction according to the direction in which the shaft
is rotated. The block f is supported by and slides on the rods 9, which are
supported by the framing of the machine; on these rods another block h
slides; an end view of this block is shown at Figure 3; in the upper edge of
the block there is a groove to receive the crank, and in this groove there is a
projecting piece to fit the interior of the bend of the crank, and the crank is
kept in the groove by the bar i screwed down upon it; k, k, are clamps,
which are also supported by and slide on the rods g; an end view of one of
these clamps is shown at Figure 4; to form collars by this machine the bar
is first heated at the part where the collars are to be formed, the bend of the
crank is then placed in the groove in the block h, and is held down in it
by the bar i; the clamps k, k, are also caused to embrace the bar at the parts
where it is desired to prevent the bar from increasing in diameter; the

page_text: block a and the clamps are also moved along the guide rods until the end
of the crank comes against the block f; the block h is then prevented from
moving back by the nuts 9' screwing on the thread on the rods g. Motion
is then communicated to the shaft d so as to force the block f towards the
block h; the metal between the two clamps, and between the clamp and the
block h is then crushed up so as to thicken the bar at those parts; the metal
between the clanıp k and the block is not crushed up, as the part of the bar
between them is not sufficiently heated; the crank may then be removed
from the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Lee, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOSEPH LEE. (L.S.)