Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Shot or Metal Spheres.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Shot or Metal
Spheres.
I LUDWIG KEYLING of 47 Garten Strasse Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and
German Empire Manufacturer 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 :-
· The process hereinafter described and the apparatus for working the same have for
their object the manufacture of .shot or metal spheres of all descriptions from angular
or irregular pieces of metal of approximately equal or uniform dimensions.
The process is based on the following principle devised by the present inventor.
When angular or irregular pieces of metal of approximately or exactly uniform or.
equal dimensions are placed in an enclosed space or chamber and are therein exposed
to the simultaneous action of gravitation or inertia and centrifugal force being acted
on by cylinders wheels or drums rotating rapidly in opposite directions:so as to cause
the pieces to be projected or thrown by the centrifugal action of one rotating drum.
against another drun rotating in the opposite direction the said pieces are not only
caused to partake of a certain amount of rotary motion about their own axes but are
also compressed at the salient angles or corners by the impact of the surfaces
resulting from the action of centrifugal force at a corresponding speed of rotation in
such a manner that the angles become modified by degrees until the originally angular.
body finally acquires the form of a true sphere.
The present process for. manufacturing shot and metal spheres of all descriptions
from pieces of metal is performed as follows.
The angularly or irregularly shaped pieces of metal that are to be rounded or
reduced to the form of shot or spheres are placed in the space between two drums
arranged one within the other the inner drum being provided with projecting arms
or beaters on its outer surface or periphery and the outer and hollow drum being
provided on its inner surface with inwardly projecting arms or scoops. These drums.
are caused to rotate in opposite directions and at different speeds.
.
By the action of the scoops on the inner surface or circumference of the outer
drum the pieces of metal are alternately carried up and, dropped upon the beaters on-

page_text: the inner and rapidly rotating drum whence they are thrown back by the centri-
fugal force against the scoops or arms on the outer drum which being inclined at
the opposite angle to and rotating in the opposite direction to the arms on the inner
drum cause the pieces to return or fall back on to these arms or beaters on the
inner drum this alternate action being continued as long as the apparatus continues
in motion at the proper speed. The inclination of the arms or projections relatively
to the radius being suitably selected the individual pieces are not merely thrown
backwards and forwards or up and down but are also rotated so as to continually
expose fresh surfaces on each piece to the blow or impact of the rotating arms or
surfaces.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a front elevation of a machine
or apparatus for manufacturing shot or metal balls or spheres of any description in
accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents the apparatus in plan and Figure 3 in end elevation.
Figures 4 and 5 drawn to a larger scale illustrate the construction and arrange-
ment of the drums in longitudinal and transverse section.
An outer or hollow cylinder or drum a is fixed on a shaft and has a rapid rotary
motion transmitted to it by means of belt pulleys c and a driving or counter shaft
receiving motion from a pulley d. The drum a is provided on its internal periphery
with arms or scoops e Figures 4 and 5 which as the drum rotates alternately carry
up the materials and allow them to fall.
The most effectual action of these arms is obtained by setting them at the proper
angle or inclination to the radius or tangent.
In the interior of the drum a there is a cylinder or drum frotating at a different
speed to the drum a being carried by a shaft g and driven by belt pulleys h. The drum f
is provided on its, circumference with arms or beaters n arranged at about a tangent
with the surface and presenting rounded extremities as indicated in the drawing.
The materials or pieces of metal to be converted into short or spheres are introduced
into this apparatus through an opening and the manufactured product is removed
through an opening.k. The shaft carrying the pulley d drives the drum as well as
the drum a by means of the belt pulleys c and h.
:
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The material (pieces of metal of
approximately or absolutely equal or uniform size) to be rounded or converted into
shot or balls is placed in the space m Figures 4 and 5 between the two drums.or
cylinders a and. Both drums or cylinders are then caused to partake of different
rapid rotary motions. The pieces are carried up by the scoops e on the drum a and
ou sliding off the same fall on to the beaters n on the drum f. These beaters throw
them back against the scoops e which continually return or throw them on to the
beaters n.
This alternate throwing and falling or reciprocating motion takes place
between inclined surfaces (the scoops and arms being inclined relatively to one
another and to the plane of the axis of the cylinders) so that the cubes or angular
pieces receive blows at a corresponding angle or incline and are correspondingly
worked down at the corners until they are gradually reduced to the, form of perfect
spheres.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A process for the manufacture of shot and metal-spheres-of-all-descriptions
consisting in placing pieces of metal of approximately or absolutely equal or uniform
size between scoops and beaters inclined in opposite directions and rotating at different
speeds whereby the pieces are alternately elevated by the scoops and thrown against
the beaters and then thrown back by the action of the beaters against the scoops.so

page_text: that the angles or corners are gradually reduced until the pieces obtain a perfectly
spherical form substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In the manufacture of shot and metal spheres of all descriptions from pieces of
metal of approximately or absolutely equal or uniform dimensions as hereinbefore
described and claimed a machine or apparatus constructed with drums or cylinders a
and arranged one within the other and rotating at different speeds in opposite
directions the outer drum a being provided with inclined arms or scoops e and the
inner drum being provided with inclined arms or beaters na suitable space for the
alternate falling and projection of or movement of the pieces of metal being provided
between the said drums or cylinders all substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of December 1888.