Improvements in the Manufacture of Railway Wheels and similar Wheels.
Year: 1896

page_text: :
Date of Application, 31st July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Railway Wheels and similar
Wheels.
I, JOHN BAKER, of 59 Frederick Street, Rotherham in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention' to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of plate wheels in contradistinction to
spoke wheels, and more particularly to what are termed the wheel centres.
The "centre" consists of the boss or hub and the plate which surrounds it, with
or without a peripheral flange.
I propose to make such centres by the processes of rolling and pressing in the
following manner: I take a suitable slab of iron or steel for producing the desired
"centre" and heat it in a furnace, and I pass it between a pair of rolls prepared
with a circular recess in each roll corresponding with the projecting boss or hub
required upon the "centre."
The passes through the rolls are made in various directions so as to spread the
metal equally.in all directions round the hub, and when the "centre" is required
with a circumferential flange, I pass it through rolls suitably constructed to form
such flange. The "centre" which is now roughly formed is taken to the press
which is fitted with a top and bottom pressing tool or die recessed to the finished
form of the required centre," and having a centre punch in each of half the
depth or thereabouts of the required, hole through the hub.
These tools or dies press the approximately formed "centre" to the exact and
perfect shape, ready for boring and turning to receive the tyre.
The plate portion which surrounds the hub may be pressed perfectly flat or may
be corrugated.
When the plate is made without the peripheral flange, I propose to roll a bar of
the desired section with a longitudinal groove to receive the edge of the plate,
and bend it round upon the periphery of the plate, afterwards welding and pressing
it to form.
By, this method of manufacture, I am enabled to construct double plate wheels,
with a space between the two plates.in a more economical and superior manner than
heretofore.
Deted the 30th day of July 1896
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in, the Manufacture of Railway Wheels and similar
Wheel's.
I, JOHN BAKER of 59 Frederick Street, Rotherham in the County of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and 'in what manner the
same has to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to the mauufacture of solid or plate wheels in contra-

page_text: distinction to spoked wheels, and more particularly to what are termed "wheel
centres."
The "centre" consists of the boss or hub and the surrounding disc or plate, either
with or, without a peripheral flange.
The annexed drawings illustrate the means by which such centres are produced,
similar reference letters in any of the figures, refer to similar parts.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of a wheel centre.
Fig. 2, section of same.
Fig. 3, section of finishing diea.
Fig. 4, one of the rolls with recessed prints.
Fig. 5, opposite side of same roll."
Figs. 6. 7. 8. 9, are transverse sections of the several recesses in the rolls.
I manufacture such wheels or wheel centres by the combined processes of
rolling and pressing, using rolls specially prepared for the purpose, the process
being as follows:
I prepare a pair of rolls, (or I may use more than one pair if found desirable)
each roll baving a series of sunk recesses as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
These rolls are carried in suitable housings and are geared together in such a
manner that the corresponding recesses in each roll will always come exactly opposite
each other when the rolls are caused to revolve.
I also prepare a pair of dies or top and bottom tools having a matrix of the
finished wheel or centre, half being in one tool and half in the other, to be used in
a steam hammer or other stamping or pressing machine.
These tools are shown in section in Fig. 3, T is the top tool and B, the bottom
one, M the matrix, P the punches which produce the centre hole; they may be
made solid with the dies, or made separately of steel, and fitted into the dies
in such a manner that punches of different diameters can be substituted when
desired.
The series of recesses in the rolls are used in rotation as marked viz.
Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4.
The process of manufacture is as follows: I take a slab of iron or steel of a
suitable size for producing the desired wheel or centre, and having heated it in a
furnace to the desired degree, I pass it between the rolls into the deep recess
No. 1, Fig. 4, which with its corresponding recess in the companion roll will give
the slab its first form.
I then pass it into recess No. 2, Fig. 5, which spreads the metal to a further
shape, then into recess No. 3, Fig. 4, which is provided with cutting edges C,
to cut off any excess of the spread metal, and finally into recesses No. 4, Fig. 5,
also provided with cutting edges C, for paring or nipping off any excess of
metal.
I prefer that the recesses 1, 2 & 3, shall have grooves G, as means for gripping
and spreading the metal under operation.
Figs. 4 & 5, represent the recesses in perspective but it must be understood that
the sides S, are nearly vertical, and the floor of each recess follows the curve of
the circumference of the roll, see Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9.
The partially formed wheel or centre as now left from the process of rolling, if
not sufficiently hot, is passed to the furnace and reheated, it is then placed in the
matrix of the bottom pressing die B, in the hammering or pressing machine aud
submitted to the operation of the top tool or die T.
These tools or dies flatten and bring the partly formed wheel or centre to the
finished shape of the matrix, any excess of metal taking the form of a fash or fin
upon the outside of the rim from which it can be readily cut.
The punches P, penetrate the boss H, on both sides, and leave a thin plate or
diaphragm of metal in the centre which is afterwards punched out and thus leaves
a centre hole H*.
The finished wheel centre as turned out by the rolls and dies illustrated in the
drawings is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is a section through the centre of Fig. 1.

page_text: H is the hub or boss, Hthe centre hole, H' the disc or plate, and H*, the peripheral
flange.
The disc portion H³, may be pressed into a corrugated configuration if desired
by a set of correspondingly shaped tools or dies.
In some cases, for example when the outer flange is required to be broader than
the one shown and therefore would be difficult to produce from the solid metal,
I make the wheel or centre without it, and I roll a bar of the desired section and
with a longitudinal groove down one side to receive the circumferential edge or
periphery of the disc.
I bend this bar upon the edge of the disc welding it and pressing it to form.
By my before described method or process of manufacture I am enabled to make
both single and also double plate wheels which have a space between the discs, in a
more economical and superior manner than heretofore.
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. The method or process of manufacturing disc wheels, or disc wheel centres by
the combined processes of first rolling a slab of iron or steel between rolls having a
series of specially formed recesses, to the rough form, and then stamping or pressing
such rough formn to the finished size and shape between dies prepared with a matrix,
as herein before described and shown.
2. In the manufacture of plate wheels, or the centres of plate wheels, rolling the
slab of metal between rolls prepared with a graduated series of recesses, arranged
to produce a form approximating to the desired shape of wheel or centre,
substantially as hereinbefore described and set forth.
3. In the manufacture of plate wheels or of plate wheel centres without a solid
peripheral flange, first rolling the metal to the rough form, then stamping or
pressing it to the complete form in a matrix, and afterwards welding and pressing
an outer flange upon it made from a grooved bar of suitable section as hereinbefore
described.
Dated the 20th day of January 1807
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Agent for Applicant.