Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Hinges.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 16th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Hinges.
I, DANIEL JOSEPH FLEETWOOD of 12 Plough & Harrow Road Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The blanks for the hinges may be cut out in the ordinary manner and brought to
a welding heat in a muffle or hearth. Each blank is then folded over a pivot or
mandrel for the formation of the knuckle and the tool or folder used for the purpose
may be arranged to work either alone so as to form of itself a complete press capable
of welding together by pressure the overlapping flap or flat portion of the blank or it
it may be used as a folder only in combination with other machinery hereafter
described.
When either the pattern or the size of the required hinge is such as cannot
economically be formed in the folder or press just described a pair of rolls may be
employed one of which being partially cut away will leave a gap at each revolution
and so permit a portion only of its periphery to bear on the fellow roll and one or
both of the rolls may be otherwise so shaped as to be capable by their combined action
of rolling out and welding together the flap or flat portion of the blank and of
reducing its thickness to any required gauge. Through the gap just described the
flap or flat portion of the blank is fed into the rolls and this is done by preference on
the delivery side of the rolls to do away with the necessity of passing the whole blank
through and in order that the welding and reduction of gauge of the flap or flat
portion may be effected without injury to the knuckle. In some cases the blanks may
be cut out with prongs or teeth sufficiently long to fold over the pivot or mandrel
and overlap the flap or flat portion. When this is the case it is sometimes desirable
to employ a stamp or hammer to make the weld in lieu of the press or rolls already
described. And when a stamp is employed the dies may be so shaped as to allow the
teeth or prongs when welded to stand out as ribs formed on the flap or flat portion of
the blank.

page_text: The pivot or mandrel used in each of these processes is made taper in form and
may be put into position and extracted automatically. The blank thus produced will
form one half or portion of a hinge. A revolving endless chain or band with suitable
carriers for the reception of the blanks or a revolving table may be employed for
their quick transmission from the muffle or hearth to the presses rolls stamps or
hammers.
The hinges may be finished by the ordinary processes.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Hinges.
I DANIEL JOSEPH FLEETWOOD of 12 Plough & Harrow Road Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Gentleman 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, reference being had to the accompanying
diagrams or drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon:-
The blanks for the hinges may be cut out in the ordinary manner and brought to a
welding heat in a muffle or hearth. Each blank is then folded over a pivot or
mandrel tool or folder for the formation of the knuckle and the tool or folder used
for the purpose may be arranged to work in a press capable of welding together the
overlapping or flat portions of the blank or it may be used as a folder only with
other machinery hereafter described.
When either the pattern or the size of the required binge is such as cannot
economically be formed in the press just described a pair of small rolls (Fig. 2) may
be employed one of which must be partially cut away to leave a longitudinal gap
(O. Fig. 2) at each revolution in order that a portion only of its periphery may bear
on the fellow roll. And one or both of the rolls must be otherwise so shaped as to
be capable by their combined action of rolling out and welding together the over-
lapping or flat portions of the blank (A¹) and of reducing the thickness thereof to
the required gauge. The rolls are cut away as shewn at P P Fig. 2 and through the
longitudinal gap thus produced the blanks may be fed into the rolls but in certain
cases it may be desirable to feed them in from the opposite side of the rolls. Separate
mandrels are employed for cach blank and extracted afterwards. The rolls are geared
together and controlled by means of a clutch.
Two or more patterns may be cut on each pair of rolls.

page_text: In some cases the blanks may be cut out with prongs or teeth (QQ Fig. 3)
sufficiently long to fold over the pivot or mandrel tool or folder and overlap the flat
portions (RR Fig. 3) and when this is the case it is sometimes desirable to employ
a stamp or hammer to make the weld in lieu of the press or rolls already described
and the dies may be so shaped for whichever machine they are intended as to allow
the teeth or prongs when welded to stand out as ribs formed on the overlapping or
flat portions of the blank.
The other portions of my invention requiring illustration are those which apply to
a press capable of folding and welding together the overlapping or flat portions of
blanks and the tongs employed in certain cases.
The blank (A Fig. 1) indicated in dotted lines is fed into the machine over a gap
in the table or covering plate (B B) the edges of which partially overlap a pair of
antifriction rollers (CC). The end of this plate is shewn bent at B¹ to enclose the
machinery.
In the drawing the motion is represented as being given by the crank shafts D & E
and the connecting rods G G¹ but it will be evident that it may be given by eccentrics
or other means. The crank shafts D & E are geared together and are timed so that
the forward stroke of one shall correspond with the return stroke of the other.
The tool or folder (F) is made taper and over it as on a pivot or mandrel the blank
is bent and drawn. In its descent it carries the blank (A) between the antifriction
rollers (C C) and in certain cases to be presently mentioned the folding arrangements
now described may be set up separately & used as a folder only. The folded blank (A¹)
is kept in position during the return stroke of the folder (1) by a knuckle slide (H)
on which it rests and which is connected by leverage not shewn in the diagram with
the crank shaft (E) which gives to the knuckle slide (H) an intermittent motion
supporting the blank (A) in position until it receives the grip of the die (L) and then
retiring to allow it to drop out of the machine. The automatic clutch or pawl (J)
which is balanced at Ja acts as a puller off on the return stroke of the folder (F).
As the folder (F) begins to retire a mandrel (K) advances into the bend of the
folded blank (A) to preserve the form of the knuckle during the impact of the die (L)
and the resisting bed or counter die (M) and then retires and in order to guard against
injury to the machine from irregularities in the gauge of the metal blanks or other
cause the resisting bed or counter die (M) is backed by a buffer arrangement (N)
indicated in the diagram with loaded lever (N¹) or an hydraulic buffer with weighted
safety valve may be substituted the object being to oppose to the impact of the die (L)
the maximum of solid resistance necessary to weld the overlapping or flat portions of
the blank and this being secured to allow the buffer to yield to the superior driving
force of the machine so that the shaft may complete its revolution.
The mandrel (K.) advances and retires automatically through a casing box by
well known mechanical arrangements and is cooled by a flow of water through the
casing box.
In some cases separate mandrels for each blank may be fed in loosely from a hopper
and extracted afterwards.
The hopper may be arranged to feed the loose mandrel into the bend of the blank (A¹)
or it may be so placed as to deliver it on the blank in its flat state immediately beneath
the folder (F) and before its descent in which case the lower end of the folder (F)
may be formed with a longitudinal groove to clasp the loose mandrel and to carry it
in its descent and on its return to leave it in the bend of the blank (A¹).
The machine may be speeded for two revolutions to one of the driving shaft in
order that the first revolution may bend and weld the blank and the second clear the
dies and bring the machine into position for a fresh feed. And it may be started by
a clutch arrangement to hold for one revolution of the driving shaft only.
In cases where it may be desirable to employ rolls to reduce the gauge or thickness
of the overlapping or flat portions of the blank and in other aforementioned cases the
blank may be bent before being fed into the rolls press or stamp by a press constructed
as already described and consisting of a tool or folder (F) so arranged as to carry the
blank between a pair of antifriction rollers (CC) or through a gap in the table or

page_text: covering plate (B) in lieu of the antifriction rolls (CC) or it may be bent at a suitable
heat at the muffle or hearth by the employment of a tool or folder (Fig. 5) consisting
of a pair of tongs with wide jaws adapted to the size and shape of the blank the jaws
being provided with horns or claws (S S Fig. 5) to fit on corresponding pivots or on
the top bar of a grid (Fig. 6) over the parallel bars of which the blank may be bent.
The grid may be fixed on or near the muffle or hearth and the blank may be returned
to the fire while hot. I wish however to state that although I have described the
tongs (Fig. 5) and the bars (Fig. 6) as being in certain cases parts of my process
I do not include them in my claim.
The hinges may be finished by the ordinary processes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. Constructing a press capable of bending and welding together the overlapping
or flat portions of blanks for iron and steel hinges substantially as herein set forth and
specified.
2. Constructing rolls capable by their combined action of rolling out and welding
the overlapping or flat portions of blanks for iron and steel hinges and of reducing
the gauge thereof substantially as herein set forth and specified.
3. Constructing welded iron and steel hinges with prongs or teeth formed on
the overlapping or flat portions thereof substantially as herein set forth and specified.
4. The improvements in the manufacture of iron & steel hinges substantially as
herein set forth and specified.
Dated this 15th day of December 1887.