An Improved Hydraulic Machine for Closing Over Railway Wheels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Hydraulic Machine for Closing Over Railway Wheels.
We, THE PATENT SHAFT AND AXLETREE COMPANY LIMITED Engineers,
of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, and DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold
Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
Our invention relates to closing, or hammering down the tyres of railway wheels
on the fastening or retaining ring and our object is to dispense with the hand
labour at present used for performing this operation. Mechanically operated
hammers have been adopted for this closing over, but certain disadvantages have
been experienced in their use; the principal difficulty being due to excessive tear
and wear.
Our invention consists in the application of a reciprocating tool operated by
hydraulic pressure, and in a machine embodying a reciprocating tool so operated.
In a machine constructed in accordance with our invention we arrange a powerful
frame to contain a lower die or tool upon which that part of the wheel tyre to be
closed over is supported, and a powerful reciprocating jaw or lever carrying the
closing over tool. The reciprocating jaw or lever is pivoted from a heavy pin
carried by the frame and the said jaw or lever is preferably constructed as a bell
crank; one arm of the bell crank is operated by a hydraulic ram which ram moves
in a hydraulic cylinder and the ram is packed by packing gland or by leathers.
The ram is operated in one direction by a reciprocating plunger entering the liquid
contained within the cylinder and the pressure necessary to actuate the hydraulic
ram is given by the said plunger entering the liquid within the cylinder.
The plunger is driven from a suitable crank shaft having a flywheel and driving
pulleys.
The ram may be withdrawn after its operating stroke by liquid pressure or steam
or pneumatic pressure, and at the end of each stroke liquid is admitted to the
hydraulic cylinder if necessary, and the bell crank may be returned by the ram or
it may itself press back the ram in which case it may be operated by water or other
pressure. Instead of driving the plunger supplying the cylinder mechanically by
belt, it may be actuated by steam cylinder.
The tool for closing over the wheel edge is mounted at the lower side of the bell
crank and its operating face is preferably at an angle of 45° from the borizontal
or from the plaue of the wheel.
The wheels may be closed over after being put on the axle and the machine is so
arranged that the wheel not operated on at the time projects clear of the machine.
Suitable pulley rests are placed in carriers outside the machine to enable the
wheel operated on to be rotated by hand so as to bring all the parts of the
circumference to be closed over successively under the tool.
We find a pressure of 60 tons to be sufficient to close over the metal of the
tyre very effectively and we easily operate the tool by our machine at 120 nips
per minute so that we very rapidly close over wheels without requiring manual
labour.
By our new machine we avoid all shock due to hammer blows as we depend upon
the great pressure put on the reciprocating tool and not upon any blow. The tool

page_text: is caused to reciprocate through a sufficient distance to perform its work and the
stroke is consequently very short, in most cases under one inch.
Dated this 1st day of January 1894.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
An Improved Hydraulic Machine for Closing Over Railway Wheels.
We, THE PATENT SHAFT & AXLETREE COMPANY LIMITED, Engineers,
of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, and DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold
Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, 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 :-
Our invention relates to closing, or hammering down the tyres of railway wheels
on the fastening or retaining ring, and our object is to dispense with the band
labour at present used for performing this operation. Mechanically operated
hammers have been adopted for this closing over, but certain disadvantages have
been experienced in their use; the principal difficulty being due to excessive tear
and wear.
Our invention consists in the application of a reciprocating tool operated by
hydraulic pressure, and in a machine embodying a reciprocating tool so operated.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of drawings-
Figure 1 is a side elevation part in section of a hydraulic machine constructed in
accord with our invention.
Figure 2 is a plan.
Figure 3 is a section of a tyre showing the retaining ring in position closed over.
Figure 4 is a similar section showing the tyre before closing over.
Figure 5 is an end elevation looking from behind.
Figure is an end elevation looking from the front.
Figure 7 is a section showing the application of a compressed air or a water
column to return the ram.
In a machine constructed in accordance with our invention we arrange a powerful
frame E to contain a lower die or tool G upon which that part of the wheel tyre I
to be closed over is supported, and a powerful reciprocating jaw or lever D carrying
the closing over tool G. The reciprocating jaw or lever D is pivoted from a heavy
pin D' carried by the frame E and the said jaw or lever is preferably constructed
as a bell crank; one arm of the bell crank is operated by a hydraulic ram A which
ram moves in a hydraulic cylinder A' and the ram is packed by packing gland or
by leathers. The ram is operated in one direction by a reciprocating plunger B
entering the liquid contained within the cylinder A' and the pressure necessary to
actuate the hydraulic ram is given by the said plunger entering the liquid within
the cylinder.
The plunger is driven from a suitable crank shaft B' having a flywheel B³ and
driving fast and loose pulleys B₁.
The ram may be withdrawn after its operating stroke by liquid pressure or steam
or pneumatic pressure, as indicated at Figure 7, there D is the upper part of the
bell crank lever, A' is the cylinder and A the ram; L' is a small cylinder having
a piston L and this piston connects by a piston red and links M to the ram D.
Water, steam, or air pressure is applied to the piston L to pull the ram A back to
a stop at the end of the cylinder. At the end of each stroke liquid is admitted to
the hydraulic cylinder A¹ if necessary, and the bell crank D may be returned by
the ram or it may itself press back the ram, in which case it may be operated by

page_text: water or other pressure or by springs C C₁ as shown. Instead of driving the
plunger B supplying the cylinder A mechanically by belt, it may be actuated by
Steam cylinder.
The tool G for closing over the wheel edge is mounted at the lower side of the
bell crank D and its operating face is preferably at an angle of 45 degrees from
the horizontal or from the plane of the wheel.
The wheels may be closed over after being put on the axle F and the machine
is so arranged that the wheel F* not operated on at the time projects clear of the
machine.
Suitable pulley rests are placed in carriers outside the machine to enable
the wheel operated on to be rotated by hand so as to bring all the parts of
the circumference to be closed over successively under the tool.
We find a pressure of 60 tons upon the tool to be sufficient to close over the
metal of the tyre very effectively and we easily operate the tool by our machine at
120 nips per minute so that we very rapidly close over wheels without requiring
manual labour.
By our new machine we avoid all shock due to hammer blows, as we depend
upon the great pressure put on the reciprocating tool and not upon any blow. The
tool is caused to reciprocate through a sufficient distance to perform its work and
the stroke is consequently very short, in most cases under one inch.
At Figure 3 is shown a section of the wheel tyre, where I is the tyre, H is the
retaining ring, and K is the wheel centre. The part 11 is shown in this figure as
closed or riveted over on the retaining ring H. At Figure 4 the part 1' is shown
as it exists before the closing over operation. The centre K, ring H and tyre I
are otherwise as in Figure 3.
The plunger B operates in an extension A² of the cylinder A' and a cover
closing that extension carries a pressure gauge A³. A safety valve A* is carried
by the bolted on picce which contains a suction valve A opening into the liquid
chamber A. Liquid from A flows into the cylinder A2 by way of the valve A*
if by reason of leakage the cylinder A' is not full of liquid when the plunger B is
full out.
B is a connecting rod.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
full out.
B2 is a connecting rod.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. Closing or riveting wheel tyres on the retaining rings by hydraulic pressure
which causes the closing tool to give a succession of powerful nips, which nips
rivet in succession each part of the wheel brought under the tool substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. A hydraulic tyre closing or riveting machine, comprising in combination, a
hydraulic cylinder and ram, a bell crank lever with closing tool at one end operated
by the hydraulic ram at the other end, a plunger driven by crank or steam cylinder,
displacing liquid in the hydraulic cylinder to produce pressure on the ram, and a
suitable frame with lower tool or block, substantially as herein before described.
3. The hydraulic tyre closing or riveting machine herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
1004
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.