AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING IRON OR STEEL DIES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING
IRON OR STEEL DIES."-A communication from abroad by George
Francis Champney and Joseph Warren Hayward, both of Taunton,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 23rd January 1872, and dated the 10th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th October 1871.
T
I, WILLIAM ROBE LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the. said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS
FOR MAKING IRON OR STEEL DIES," a communication, to be as follows :-
Steel dies have heretofore been made by cutting or engraving the
device upon a steel block of the required size and shape. This operation

page_text: required the employment of skilled labour and was exceedingly
tedious, the time consumed in producing the die rendering it extremely
expensive.
This Invention has for its object to overcome these difficulties, and
to enable me to produce a steel die without the necessity of cutting or t
engraving the device thereon. It consists chiefly in forcing the block
which is to form the die while in a highly heated state into or over
a metallic pattern, whose form or design is thus transferred to the
block, by which means I am enabled to readily produce a perfect die
wherein the finest lines aro clearly and sharply thrown out with very 1
little labour, and in a very short space of time, thus effecting a great
saving in the cost of manufacturing steel dies.
I take a disc or block of steel of the required size to form a die, and
having a shoulder formed thereon; this block is inserted into one end of
a short metal tube, the inside of the same having a slight coating of oil 1
or grease. If the block does not accurately fit the end of the tube the
joint may be luted with fire-clay or other suitable material to prevent
the escape of the gas and smoke generated from the oil or grease on
the inside of the pipe when the latter is heated, as will be hereafter
described. A metal cap is now fitted to the opposite end of the tube
or pipe to prevent the escape of the gas and smoke, after which the end
of the pipe with the block therein is placed in the fire and brought to
an intense white heat, the steel block being protected from cracking and
other injury by a coating of borax and fire-clay placed on its outer
surface.
This heating of the pipe, as above described, causes smoke and gas to
be generated from the oil on its inner surface, and this smoke and gas
produce a slight film or coating on the inner side, of the steel block,
which prevents the surface so coated from becoming oxidized by the
heat to which it is subjected. As soon as the block has been brought
to a white heat, as above described, it is withdrawn from the fire and the
cap
is removed from the lower end of the tube, then the tube is
slipped over a vertical iron or steel mandril, in a recess at the top of
which is placed the pattern or device whose form it is intended to
transfer to the under surface of the block to produce the die.
When a female die is to be made the patterns will be in bas-relief; and
for a male die the pattern will be in intaglio.

page_text: This pattern should be formed of copper or brass, or of some metal
equally hard. The block now rests upon the pattern, and is then placed
under a drop press or hammer, and the same forces the steel block down,
into, or over the pattern, by which means an exact impression thereof
is transferred to the steel block. A flange or rim at the top of the
mandril fits under the shoulder of the block and between the same and
'the pipe, preventing the block from spreading when being forced down
by the blow of the drop press or 'hammer. The tube with the dio
formed as above described is now removed from the mandril and
plunged into cold water, after which the die is removed, and the required
temper may afterward be imparted thereto if necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lako in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 9th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING IRON OR STEEL DIES," a communication
to me from abroad by George Francis Champney and Joseph Warren
Hayward, both of Taunton, Massachusetts, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, ог

page_text: . their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and
.ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Scal 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 Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
Steel dies have heretofore been made by cutting or engraving the
device upon a steel block of the required sizo and shape. This operation
required the employment of skilled labour and was exceedingly
tedious, the time consumed in producing the die rendering it extremely
expensive.
]
1
'This Invention has for its object to overcome these difficulties, and
to enable me to produce a steel die without the necessity of cutting or
engraving the device thereon. It consists chiefly in forcing the block
which is to form the die while in a highly heated state into or over a
metallic pattern, whose form or design is thus transferred to the block, 2
by which means I am enabled to readily produce a perfect die, wherein
the finest lines are clearly and sharply thrown out with very little labour
and in a very short space of time, thus effecting a great saving in the
cost of manufacturing steel dies.

page_text: A represents the disc or block of steel of the required size to form
a die, and having a shoulder a formed thereon. This block is inserted
into one end of a short metal tube B, such as a piece of gas pipe, the
inside of the same having a slight coating of oil or grease. If the
block A does not accurately fit the end of the tube the joint may be
luted with fire-clay or other suitable material to prevent the escape of
gas and smoke generated from the oil or grease on the inside of the
pipe when the latter is heated, as will be hereafter described.. A metal
cap (not shown) is now fitted to the opposite end of the tube or pipe B,
to prevent the escape of gas and smoke, after which the end of the pipo
with the block A therein is placed in the fire and brought to an intense
white heat, the steel block A being protected from cracking and other
·injury by a coating of borax and fire-clay placed on its outer surface,
or by other suitable means.
This heating of the pipe, as above described, causes smoke and gas
to be generated from the oil on its inner surface, and this smoke and
gas produce a slight film or coating on the inner sido of the steel block
A, which prevents the surface so coated from becoming oxidized by the
heat to which it is subjected. As soon as the block A has been brought
to a white heat, as above described, it is withdrawn from the fire and
the cap is removed from the lower end of the tube B, after which the tube
is slipped over a vertical iron or steel mandril D, in a recess b at the top
of which is placed the pattern or device c whose form it is intended to
transfer to the under surface of the block A to produce the die.
When a female die is to be made the pattern will be in bas-relief,
and for a male die the pattern will be in intaglio.
This pattern should be formed of copper or brass, or of some metal
equally bard. The block A now rests upon the pattern and is then
placed under a drop press or hammer, the blow of which forces the
steel block A down into or over the pattern c, as seen in Figure 2, by
which means an exact impression thereof is transferred to the steel
block. One blow of the drop press or hammer is sometimes sufficient,
but several blows may be given if found necessary. The flange or rim d
at the end of the mandril D fits under the shoulder a of the block A
and between the same and the pipe B, preventing the block A from
spreading when being forced down by the blow of the drop press or
hammer. The tube B with the die formed as above described is now
removed from the mandril D and plunged into cold water, after which

page_text: the die is removed and the required temper may afterward be imparted
thereto if necessary.
By the above-described process a perfect die, in which the finest lines
aro clearly and sharply thrown out, can be readily and easily formed
without cutting or engraving from a pattern, which can be mado at 5
a very small cost, and as the inner surface of the steel block is protected
from oxidation by the film or coating formed by the smoke and gas
generated from the oil or grease, as above described, no scales aro
produced, and consequently no subsequent finishing by hand is required
to complete the dic.
The device which it is intended the die should bear can be first
formed in wax, plaster, or wood, and an electrotype be taken from the
same, to be afterward filled with hard solder, when it may be used as a
pattern, as above described.
When the device is of high relief it is advisable in making a female 1
die to partially countersink or excavate the steel block preparatory to
commencing the operation.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I claim,―
The within described process for making dies of iron or steel sub- ·
stantially as set forth.
I also claim the mandril D in combination with the tube B, block A,
and the pattern c, operating substantially in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
stantially as set forth.
I also claim the mandril D in combination with the tube B, block A,
and the pattern c, operating substantially in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here- 21
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
W. ROB³. LAKE. (L.S.)