Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 7th Oct., 1887.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 67 Strand,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention a communication to me from abroad by Samuel Thomas Wellman, of
Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved method of making car axles in which suitable
blooms or billets, either square or rectangular in cross section, are passed, in turn
through rolls of such construction, the same having grooves of uniform width but of
such varying depth, that while the blank retains a rectangular form in cross section
with two sides thereof parallel, the other two sides are shaped to correspond with the
finished forging, the blank being approximately of the same length as the finished
axle, and of such varying thickness that the metal is distributed lengthwise of the
The blank is
blank substantially the same in area as in the finished forging for the axle.
next transferred to the finishing dies, and the latter are of suitable length to receive the
blank bodily, and their faces are shaped to correspond accurately with the finished
forging desired. The internal edges, where the dies close together, should be rounded
off to avoid making fins on the forging. The dies are operated in a steam-bammer of
large size, or in a suitable press, if the latter is preferred. The blank is placed
between the two dies with the parallel edges thereof arranged top and bottom. A few
strokes of the hammer will close the dies together and shape the work properly except
narrow strips along the sides where the aforesaid rounded edges of the dies occur.
The blank is then turned in the dies, say a quarter revolution, more or less, after
which a few light blows will finish the work. The stub ends of the forging are
sheared off, and the forging is then placed in holding dies and the ends upset by
means of reciprocating plungers to form, or finish as the case may be, the outside
collars of the axles. Conically ended plugs are set centrally on the faces of the
upsetting plungers by means of which conical depressions are left in the ends of the
forging to serve as centres, when the forging is afterwards turned off in a lathe.
Heretofore, in the manufacture of car-axles, the metal, whether of iron or steel, was
reduced to a suitable bloom or billet and afterward hammered into the proper shape.
The reduction from the said bloom or billet to the finished forging for the axle was
slow, laborious and expensive, a gang of men with a suitable steam-hammer usually
turning only about twenty or twenty-five axles per day. With my improved method

page_text: about eight or ten times the amount of work abovementioned can be accomplished in
a day, and at about the same expense for labor.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, showing approxi-
mately the form of an ordinary bloom or billet, such as are commonly used in making
car-axles. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a blank after passing the rolls. Fig. 3
is an enlarged plan view of the forging as it leaves the shaping-dies. Figs. 4 and 5
are respective side elevations and end elevation in transverse sectian of the rolls
employed. Fig. 6 is an elevation in longitudinal section of the shaping-dies.
Figs. 7 and 8 are elevations in transverse section of the shaping-dies, showing the
blank as it enters the dies, and showing also the finished forging as it leaves these dies.
Fig. 9 is a plan, partly in section, showing the upsetting plunger and the axle in
position in the holding dies. Fig. 10 is an elevation in transverse section of the
holding-dies and axle. Figs. 11 and 12 are plan views, showing respectively, an axle-
forging without end collars and showing such axle-forging after the stub ends have
been severed, ready for entering the holding dies.
A represents the bloom or billet that is heated and passed through the rolls BB,
and formed thereby into the blank C. The grooves 6 of the rolls are of uniform width,
by reason of which two sides of the blank are made parallel. The grooves are of
varying depth, the bottom thereof corresponding with the plan of the finished forging,
by means of which the blank C is of varying thickness, the metal being distributed
lengthwise substantially in area from point to point as the finished work. Usually
several grooves are made on the same set of rolls for axles of different length, size, or
shape, as the case may be. The blank is next placed between the shaping dies D D,
the blank being set edgewise therein; that is, the parallel sides of the blank are placed
at the top and bottom of the dies. These dies are long enough to receive the blank
bodily, only the rough ends of the blank containing the surplus metal protruding.
The faces of the dies are hollowed out and shaped accurately to give the desired shape
to the finished forging except the upsetting of the outside collar hereinafter mentioned.
For shape of blank after leaving the shaping-dies, see Figs. 3 and 11, of course
different sets of shaping-dies being provided for axles of different length, size or shape.
The internal corners of the dies at d are rounded off to prevent formning fins on the
work. The dies are preferably operated with a steam-hammer of large size, what is
known as a four or five-ton-hammer being ample for the purpose. These dies also
may be operated in a suitable press, if so preferred. A few strokes of the hammer
will close the dies and shape the blank properly, except narrow strips along the sides
adjacent to the rounded corners aforesaid, at which places the blank will likely swell
out a trifle. These sides, however, it will be remembered, were approximately of the
desired form when they left the rolls. The blank is next turned more or less in the
dies, after which a few light blows will finish the work, except the end collars of
the axles.
The end collars of the axle may be partially formed, in the shaping-dies, as shown
in Fig. 3. or the forging when it leaves the shaping-dies may be approximately as
shown in Fig. 11, that is to say, without end collars. In either case the stub ends are
severed and the forging is next placed in holding-dies G. These dies are made in
halves, and are shaped internally to fit the body of the axle, but have an annular
recess at the end thereof, the diameter of such recess corresponding with the outside
collar K to be formed on the axle, see Fig. 9. A reciprocating plunger I, for
upsetting the ends of the axle to form such collar, is made to fit nicely in the end
bore of the holding-die, a conical ended plug J, being set centrally in the face of
plunger I to make a conical depression in the end of the forging, such depressions
serving to center the work in a lathe, where the axle is subsequently finished. The
plunger I is set in head H of a press or steam-hammer, usually the former. The
dies & may be long enough to receive the axle bodily, with plungers I, arranged at
either end of the holding-die, such plungers being made to operate simultaneously in
upsetting the collars K, in which case little or no strain will be had endwise of the
holding-die. The axle, after leaving the holding dies, is ready for finishing in a lathe
where the bearings and collars are turned off." It is possible to form the end collars

page_text: of the axle in the shaping-dies D, but unless long stud ends are left to resist the out-
ward end flow of the metal under treatment in dies D, the end collars are likely to be
defective. Also, where the end collars are forged without upsetting, the stub ends
have to be severed in a lathe, or by such means as to leave the ends of the axle
approximately square, and after such severing of the stub ends the axle has to be
centered for finishing in a lathe, such severing of the stub ends and centering of the
work adding considerably to the expense of the work. Where upsetting the end
collars is practiced, as herein before described, the stub ends can be sheared off at a
trifling cost, for so long as there is metal enough left to form the end. collars, it matters
little in what shape it is left, provided the end bore of the holding-dies will receive it.
The better practice is to have the forging when it leaves the shaping-dies, substantially
as shown in Fig. 11, Fig. 12 showing such forging after the stub ends are severed
and the forging made ready for the holding-dies G.
A
With my improved methods the axles are made with great accuracy and dispatch.
gang of men such as heretofore usually employed in the manufacture of car-axles
and with the necessary tools substantially as herein described, will be able to turn
about two hundred car axles per day at approximately the same expense, except for
extra material, as has heretofore usually been expended in the production of from
twenty to twenty-five axles per day. The method of rolling metal into irregular
shapes is old, but I have no knowledge of such method having heretofore been
employed in producing blanks such as herein described for car-axles and such blanks,
if produced, would be worthless for the purpose except the method was carried out
by means of the shaping-dies substantially as described, that would receive the
blanks bodily.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the sanie is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1) The method herein described, of producing car-axles from suitable blooms or
billets, and consisting essentially, first, in rolling the bloom or billet into a blank of
variable area in section, said blank having the metal distributed lengthwise thereof in
substantially the same proportion as the finished forging of the axle, second, shaping
the blank in suitable dies adapted to receive the blank bodily, such dies having
suitable concaved faces made to correspond substantially with the finished work,
substantially as set forth.
2) A step in the method of manufacturing car-axles, consisting essentially of
upsetting the ends of the axle to form collars by means of holding-dies and suitable
upsetting-die or plunger.
3) A step in the method of manufacturing car-axles, consisting essentially in simul-
taneously upsetting the ends of the axle to form end collars and forming centering
depressions in the ends of the axle.
4) The combination with holding-dies made in halves, and constructed to form end
collars on the axle, of an upsetting-plunger for upsetting the ends of the axle substan-
tially as set forth.
5) The combination with dies constructed to form end collars on the axle, of an
upsetting plunger having a conically ended center-pin secured thereto.
6) The combination with holding-die made in halves and constructed to form end
collars on the axle of an upsetting-plunger having a conically ended center-pin
secured thereto, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 6th day of September 1887.