IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF CRANK SHAFTS AND BEARINGS THEREFOR and in
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, HORACE SEE, of No. 1230 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, in the County of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, and United States of America, engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CRANK SHAFTS AND BEARINGS THEREFOR and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of my invention, which is more particularly designed for fitting and
finishing the large and heavy shafts, having one, two, or more pairs of cranks,
which are employed in marine steam engines of the compound type, is to enable
the journals and bearings of a crank shaft, whether said shaft be built or solid, to
be brought to a truly cylindrical contour and an axial coincidence, and the crank
pins to be made truly parallel thereto. The improvements claimed are hereinafter
fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a side view, in elevation, of a set
of special or adjusting bearings and a trueing mandrel, adapted to the practice of
my invention; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Fig. 3, a side view, in elevation,
of said bearings, with the sections of a shaft adjusted therein; Fig. 4, an end view
of the same; Fig. 5, a plan or top view of the same illustrating the boring out of
a pair of crank pin eyes; Fig. 6, a side view of the bed plate and main bearings,
of the crank shaft, with the trueing mandrel applied thereto; Fig. 7, a similar
view of the same, with the shaft in position and in readiness for the facing off of
the couplings, and; Fig. 8, a similar view of the same after being secured to its
foundation and with the trueing mandrel applied.
In the practice of my invention I provide a cylindrical trueing mandrel A, the
length of which is equal to or somewhat greater than the distance between the
outer ends of the two end journals of the crank shaft to be dealt with, so as to
reach over all the bearings thereof, and which is, preferably, of the same diameter
as the journals of said shaft, although, if desired, it may be made of smaller.
diameter, so as to have adjustable sleeves or collars fitted upon it, of diameters
corresponding, respectively, with the journals of different crank shafts manufactured
and to be finished and fitted from time to time.

page_text: I further provide a set of special adjusting bearings B, corresponding in number
and diameter with the journals of the crank shaft, and secured, preferably with
the capacity of adjustment longitudinally, upon a stout and truly level bed B¹,
located in any convenient position upon the floor of a machine shop or other
locality suitable for the application of power and use of tools.
The finishing and fitting of a crank shaft and its bearings under my invention
is effected as follows. The special adjusting bearings B, having been bored out and
secured in their proper positions upon the bed B¹, are made true and in line axially
by applying the trueing mandrel A, to them, and correcting any irregularities or
imperfections which may be developed by the use of said mandrel as a cylindrical
face plate. The several sections of the crank shaft C, with the cranks c, shrunk on
and keyed in position, are next dropped into the adjusting bearings B, and are
brought truly into line by correcting any irregularities or lack of correspondence
that may be found to exist as between their journals and said bearings. A boring
bar D, having proper boring cutters and driving gear, is then set parallel with the
shaft, in bearings upon the bed B', and the crank eyes of each pair of cranks are
bored out to receive the pin, which is forced in and keyed.
The main bearings E, of the engine, within which the crank shaft is to rotate,
are bored out and made true and in line axially, by the application of the trueing
mandrel, as in the case of the special adjusting bearings before described, after
which the shaft is tested and made true, if necessary, by dropping it into the
bearings E, which are now used as an external cylindrical face plate, after which
the couplings for connecting the shaft sections one with the other and with the line
shaft may be faced off truly by the application of a proper tool while the shaft is
revolved in the bearings E.
As a final assurance against the possibility of the crank shaft and its bearings
being in any manner out of line when located in operative position, the trueing
mandrel A, may be again applied to the main bearings E, after the line has been
run through the same, and the engine bed plate E¹, has been secured upon the
keelsons E³, or other foundation upon which it rests when in service. In the event
of either of the bearings having been forced out of shape or position in screwing
down, it is to be corrected by raising or lowering before the shaft is finally dropped
into place.
The several operations above described refer more particularly to the case of a
built crank shaft. Where a solid shaft is to be dealt with, it is, after being turned,
tested and made true with its own permanent bearings, after the same have been
lined by the trueing mandrel, after which its coupling is to be faced off, as above
described. A built shaft may be similarly operated on, if deemed preferable.
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 combination, in an apparatus for fitting and finishing crank shafts and
their bearings, of a series of special adjusting bearings and a cylindrical trueing
mandrel, each corresponding in diameter with the journals of the shaft to be
operated on, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with a series of permanent bearings adapted to support
a crank shaft when in service, of a cylindrical trueing mandrel corresponding in
diameter with the journals of the shaft and of a length substantially equal to the
distance between the outer faces of the end bearings of the series, substantially as
set forth.
3. The combination, with a series of permanent bearings adapted to support
a crank shaft when in service, of mechanism for rotating a crank shaft in said
bearings, and a facing cutter supported adjacent to the bearings, in position to face
off a coupling of the shaft while the latter is rotated in the bearings, substantially
as set forth,

page_text: 4. As an improvement in the art of manufacturing crank shafts, the method of
insuring the correspondence of the journals and bearings which consists in testing
a set of special adjusting bearings by the application of a cylindrical trueing
mandrel, correcting deficiencies thereby found in said special adjusting bearings,
testing the crank shaft by applying it to said trued adjusting bearings, correcting
irregularities in the shaft, testing the permanent bearings of the crank shaft by the
application of the trueing mandrel thereto, and correcting deficiencies thereby
found in said permanent bearings, substantially as set forth.
5. As an improvement in the art of manufacturing crank shafts, the method of
insuring the parallelism of the shaft and crank pins which consists in testing a set
of special adjusting bearings by the application of a cylindrical trueing mandrel,
correcting deficiencies thereby found in said special adjusting bearings, testing the
crank shaft by applying it to said trued adjusting bearings, correcting deficiencies
thereby found in said shaft, and boring out the crank eyes by a boring bar
adjusted to rotate parallel to the axis of said adjusting bearings, substantially as
set forth.
6. As an improvement in the art of manufacturing crank shafts, the method
of insuring the truth of the shaft couplings which consists in testing a set of
special adjusting bearings by the application of a cylindrical trueing mandrel,
correcting deficiencies thereby found in said special adjusting bearings, testing the
crank shaft by applying it to said trued adjusting bearings, correcting deficiencies.
thereby found in said shaft, testing the permanent bearings of the shaft by the
application of the trueing mandrel thereto, correcting deficiencies thereby found in
said permanent bearings, and facing off the shaft couplings during the rotation of
the shaft in said trued permanent bearings, substantially as set forth.
7. As an improvement in the art of manufacturing crank shafts, the method of
perfecting the alignment and truth of the shaft and its bearings, which consists in
testing a set of special adjusting bearings by the application of a cylindrical
trueing mandrel, correcting deficiencies thereby found in said special adjusting
bearings, testing the crank shaft by applying it to said trued adjusting bearings,
testing the permanent bearings of the shaft by the application of the trueing
mandrel thereto, correcting deficiencies thereby found in said permanent bearings,
testing the crank shaft by applying to said trued permanent bearings, correcting
irregularities in the shaft, again testing the permanent bearings by the application
of the trueing mandrel after the bearings have been fastened to the foundation
which they occupy when in service and before finally locating the shaft in said
bearings, and correcting deficiencies thereby found in said permanent bearings,
substantially as set forth.
BORDERouen day of June A.D, 1009.
Witnesses:
MATHIAS SEDDINGER.
C. WESLEY Ruffell.
HORACE SEE.
Carpmael & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.