In- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING SHOES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Shanks, of Johnstone, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING SHOES FOR HORSES AND OTHER
ANIMALS."
Sealed the 31st May 1870, and dated the 6th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Shanks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th December 1869.
I, WILLIAM SHANKS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING SHOES FOR HORSES AND
OTHER ANIMALS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to machinery designed for forging horse-shoes
and similar articles in a simple, automatic, and rapid manner. The.
principal parts are carried upon and within a massive cast-iron table of
a rectangular form, and are contrived so as to cut successive lengths...
of iron from a rod or bar, to bend each round a core or mandril, to

page_text: compress and indent it if required, and to finally discharge it. The core
or mandril projects up through an opening in the front part of the
table top, and the rod length is entered in a transverse horizontal
direction into its proper position behind it by the action of a pair of
entering rollers on the uncut part of the rod. The length or blank
about to be forged or shaped is pushed up against a stop suitably
adjusted at the side opposite to that of its entrance, and it serves itself
as a stop for the next length whilst the latter is being cut from the
rod. The rod is entered through a hole in the cutting or shearing lever
and passes on through a guide in a holder fixed to the table. The lever
is worked by a revolving cam, and in descending shears or detaches
from the part of the rod in the stationary holder the remainder of the
rod, the severed end of which last it retains, and on again rising brings
opposite to the holder guide for the next length to be pushed in. The
upper entering roller revolves continuously, but the lower roller is
connected with the cutting lever so that it carries the rod into contact
with the upper roller only when the lever is raised into the position for
running in a length. The length or blank about to be shaped is held
at its middle against the back of the core by a small block pressed
against it by a lever, to which a spring is applied, and which is drawn
back by a cam to permit the length to enter into its place. This same
lever is by its spring made to finally discharge the shoe, which it is
allowed to do at the proper time in consequence of the core being then
withdrawn downwards by a cam actuated by a lever. The ends of the
rod length or blank are bended round the core by means of a slide
moving horizontally backwards and forwards in guides upon the table top.
To the front of this slide two arms are jointed with rollers on their
front ends to bear on the blank, and with pins on their under sides to
work in guide grooves shaped to suit the intended form of shoe. Fixed
guides are also provided for the outsides of the rollers to bear against
when acting on the horns of the shoe, in order to reduce and taper the
metal near the ends. Instead of the blank ends being bended round
by rollers they may be shaped by blocks or dies centered on pins, and
made to close round with the blank by rods connecting them to the
horizontal slide. When the bending round is completed the benders
retire, and a die is brought down vertically upon the shoe to. complete
the operations of the machine with the exception of the discharging
already described. The part of the table under the blank or a movable
piece inserted therein may be. shaped to give a bevilled or other form to
"

page_text: the under side of the shoe. The upper die is carried by a slide working
in vertical guides, and may be actuated like a steam hammer or by a
lever worked by a cam, crank, or eccentric. The horizontal slide is
worked by a cam or wiper on what may be termed the main shaft of
the machine, and which receives its motion through suitable gearing
comprising a clutch for engaging and disengaging from a first motion
shaft carrying a fly wheel and fast and loose pulleys for a driving belt,
or driven by a steam engine in direct connection with the machine. In
some cases the iron rod or bar is grooved or shaped by passing between
rollers just before entering the machine, it being an important object
of the Invention to effect the forging of the shoes with one heating of
the rod or bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said William Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th June 1870...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SHANKS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engi-
neer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Shanks, Her special licence
that I, the said William Shanks, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Shanks, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FORGING SHOES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS," upon the
condition (amongst others). that I, the said William Shanks, my execu
tors 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

page_text: same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
'after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Shanks, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to machinery for forging shoes for horses
and other animals in a simple, automatic, and rapid manner.
And in order that my Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended two Sheets
of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing
a shoe forging machine as made with my improvements. In these
Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1, on Shect-1 of the Drawings, is a front elevation of the
machine; Figure 2 is a side elevation; and Figures 3 and 4 are
horizontal and vertical sections. Figure 5, on Sheet 2, is a plan of the
machine; Figures 6, 7, and 8 are views of parts for feeding in the iron
rod; and Figures 9 and 10 are plans of a modification of the bending
details in different positions.
The principal parts are carried upon and within a massive cast-iron
table or frame 1 of a rectangular form and are contrived so as to cut
successive lengths of iron from a rod or bar, to bend each round a core
or mandril 2, to compress or indent it if required, and to finally
discharge it. The core or mandril 2 projects up through an opening in
the front part of the table top, and the rod length is entered in a
transverse horizontal direction into its proper position behind it by the
action on the uncut part of the rod of a pair of entering rollers 3, 4,
(shown detached in Figures 6 and 7 to avoid confusing the other
Figure). The length or blank about to be forged or shaped is pushed
up against a stop 5 suitably adjusted at the side (to the left hand in
Figure 5) opposite to that of its entrance, and it serves itself as a stop
for the next length whilst the latter is being cut from the rod. The
cutting or shearing lever 6 is fixed on a transverse horizontal spindle 7
at the right-hand side of the machine, and the rod is entered through a
hole in it and passes on through a guide 8 in a holder fixed to the table.

page_text: The cutting lever 6 is worked by means of a lever 9 fixed on its spindle 7
and actuated by a cam 10 on a horizontal revolving shaft 11 driven
by spur gearing from what may be termed the main shaft 12, also a
horizontal one, and carried in bearings at the back of the table. The
rod is cut by the descent of the lever 6, and the lever retains the end of
the remainder of the rod, and on again rising brings it opposite to the
holder guide 8 for the next length to be pushed in. The upper entering
roller 3 is upon one end of a spindle carried by a bracket 13, and having
on its other end a pulley 14 to receive a driving band by which the
roller 3 is made to revolve continuously. The lower roller 4 however is
carried by an arm 15 fixed on the lever spindle 7, and it carries the rod
up into contact with the upper roller 3 only when the lever 6 is raised
into the position for running in a length. The length or blank about to
be shaped is held at its middle against the back of the core 2 by a small
block 15¹ pressed against it by a lever 16 to which a spring 17 is applied,
and which is drawn back by a cam 18 to permit the length to enter into
its place; this cam 18 is on a short shaft 19 driven by spur wheels 20
from the shaft 11. The same lever 16 is by its spring 17 made to finally
discharge the shoe, which it is allowed to do at the proper time in con-
sequence of the core 2 being then withdrawn downwards by means of a
lever 21 linked to it and actuated by a cam 22 on the shaft 11. The
ends of the rod length or blank are bended round the core 2 by means of
a slide 23 moving horizontally backwards and forwards in guides upon
the table top. To the front of this slide 23 two arms 24 are jointed with
rollers on their front ends to bear upon the sides of the blank, and with
pins on their under sides to work in guide grooves 25 shaped to suit
the intended form of shoe. Fixed guides 26 are also provided for the
outsides of the rollers to bear against when acting on the horns or heels
of the shoe in order to reduce and taper the metal near the ends.
Instead of the blank ends being bended round by rollers they may be
shaped by blocks or dies 27, Figures 9 and 10, centred on pins and made
to close round with the blank by rods or arms 24 connecting them to
the horizontal slide 23. When the bending round is completed the
benders 24 or 27 retire and a die or stamp 28 is brought down vertically
upon the shoe to complete the operations of the machine with the
exception of the discharging already described. The part of the table
under the blank or a movable piece inserted therein may be shaped to
give a bevilled or other form to the under side of the shoe. The upper
die 28 is carried by a slide 29 working in vertical guides 30 and may be

page_text: actuated like a steam hammer or by a lever 31 worked by a cam,
eccentric, or crank 32. The horizontal slide 23 is worked by a cam or
wiper 33 on the main shaft 12, and which is an extension of one of the
cheeks for the crank pin 32. This wiper 33 carries an antifriction roller
at its outer end and bears against the back end of the slide 23 when
moving it forward. The end of the wiper in continuing to move round
then passes under the slide 23 and encounters a bell-crank lever 34 set
loosely on the shaft 11 and connected to the slide, and through it causes
the slide to return backwards. The main shaft 12 is driven by gearing
that will be easily understood from the Drawing from a shaft 35 with a
fly wheel and fast and loose pulleys for a driving belt, the gearing
comprising a clutch 36 for engaging and disengaging. Or the shaft 35
may be driven by a steam engine in direct connection with the machine.
In some cases I cause the iron rod for forming the shoes to be grooved
or shaped by passing between suitable rollers just before entering the
machine, it being an important object of my Invention to effect the
forging of the shoes with one heating of the rod or bar.
· Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is, the combining together of parts of machinery for forging shoes for
horses and other animals substantially in the improved manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shanks, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
W". SHANKS. (L.S.)