Improvements in the Manufacture of Forgings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Forgings.
I, GEORGE DEXTER BURTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at
Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
inventor and car-builder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FORGINGS and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for making forgings in which a
current of electricity is employed for heating the material being forged.
In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to a machine
for making rolled forgings, such for instance as machine handles, anti-friction balls,
shuttle tips, spinning spindles, shoe corks, conical shells, screw bolts and similar
articles, but the invention may be used in forging other articles of regular or irregular
shapes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is an end elevation of a roll forging
machine embodying my improvement. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the
mechanism constituting a bar-feeder for intermittently feeding the bar from which
the forgings are rolled. Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation partly in section of a
portion of the bar-feeder. Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of the circuit-changer
for automatically closing an electric circuit through the bar to heat it and for
automatically breaking the circuit while the article is being forged to prevent
electrically charging the dies and other parts of the machine, the parts being in the
position which they assume when the current is broken. Figure 5 represents the
switch-lever and actuating cam of the circuit changer in position of closing the circuit.
Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of figure 4 showing the switch-plate, the switch and
the contact studs. Figure is an enlarged plan view of an automatic adjustable
electrode for applying the current to the outer end of the bar or blank. Figure 8 is
a transverse section of the adjustable electrode on line 8-8 of figure 7. Figure 9 is
an enlarged side elevation of the bar-feeder, the parts thereof being in the positions
which they assume after retraction preparatory to the feeding operation. Figure 10
is an enlarged side elevation of the bar-feeder, the parts being in the position which
they assume after the feeding and before retraction.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
The drawings represent my invention as applied to a roll forging machine having
an oscillating curved die and a reciprocating horizontal die, but the invention may be
applied to other roll forging machines; such for instance as those having two
rotary dies.
In the drawings referred to, the frame 20 supports a flat bed or table 21 having
longitudinal guide-ways 22 and 23 and a central longitudinal groove 24. The frame
is also provided at opposite sides centrally of its length with upright standards 25
and 26, and with a block 27.
A reciprocating carriage 30 is supported on said table and guided in said guideways
or tracks. This table is provided on its under side with a rack 31, and on its upper
side with a rack 32.
A shaft 40 provided with a pinion 41, which engages the under rack 31 for
reciprocating the carriage is supported in bearings in the table 21 and provided at its
outer end with a gear 42.
A driving shaft 50 is journaled at one end in the frame 20 and at the other end in
a standard 51 adjacent to the frame. This shaft is provided with two fast pulleys 52
and 54 and two loose pulleys 53 and 55 whereby an oscillating motion may be

page_text: imparted to the driving shaft by means of a crossed belt, a straight belt and a belt-
shipper. The driving shaft 50 is provided with a pinion 56 which meshes with the
gear 42 on the shaft 40.
A die-wheel shaft 60 is journaled at its opposite ends in adjustable bearings of the
upright standards 25 and 26. This shaft is provided with a die wheel 61 and with a
gear 62.
A stub-shaft 70 is journaled in the block 27 attached to the table 21. This stub-
shaft is provided at its inner end with a pinion 71 which meshes with the upper
rack 32 of the reciprocating carriage 30 and also with the gear 62 of the die wheel
shaft 60 whereby motion is communicated from the reciprocating carriage to the
die-wheel shaft.
A horizontal die 80 is secured to the reciprocating carriage and an arc-shaped
die 81 is secured to the periphery of the die-wheel 61. The die faces of these dies are
shaped to correspond with the article to be produced and have forming. reducing and
spreading surfaces which taper from their initial to their finishing ends.
The blank or bar 100 from which the articles are to be forged, is guided and
supported in an insulated eye 90 in the standard 26 and in an insulated eye 91
located near the dies in a bracket 92, which is screwed to the horizontal arm of the
standard 26.
The har-feeder for intermittently feeding the bars to the dies comprises, when
constructed as herein shown, a movable clamping sleeve 110, a lever 120 connected
with said sleeve for reciprocating it, and a cam 130 on the shaft 60 for actuating said
lever but any equivalent bar-feeder may be employed without departing from the
spirit of my invention.
The sleeve 110 is provided on its upper side with a slot 111 and on opposite sides
of said slot with ears 112, and a pivot pin 113 extends through said ears, as shown in
figures 2 and 3.
A disk 114 is pivoted eccentrically on said pivot pin and swings
forward in said slot. The position of the disk is such that it will swing freely as the
blank is inserted or the sleeve moved outward; but when the sleeve is moved inward
the disk bites the bar and causes it to move with the sleeve. The sleeve 110 is
provided on its under side with an insulating guide lug 115 which engages a guide
rail 116 attached to the frame. The sleeve is also provided at opposite sides with
laterally projecting studs 117 which are insulated from the body of the sleeve.
The lever 120 is provided at its upper end with an anti-friction roller or stud 121
for engaging the groove of the cam 130 and at its lower end with a slot or slots 122
which are engaged by the studs 117 of the sleeve 110. The lever is preferably
bifurcated at its lower end so as to straddle said sleeve. This lever is pivoted on a
pivot bolt 125 which passes through a bracket 126 attached to the standard 26, and it
is preferably constructed with a number of pivot holes 123 whereby its pivot may be
adjusted to increase or decrease the feed.
The cam 130 is provided with a peripheral groove 131 which extends at one end
laterally in an abrupt bend for causing a quick feeding of the bar and return of the
sleeve.
An electric cable 140 is connected with the positive pole of a dynamo electric
machine and a cable 150 is connected with the negative pole thereof or vice versa.
One end of the cable 140 is connected with a circuit changer 160 and a cable 141
is connected at one end to said circuit changer and provided at the other end with an
adjustable clamp 142 for engaging the bar 100 at the rear of the bar-feeder, said
clamp being provided with a loose collar 143 which permits the bar to turn axially
under the action of the dies. The end of the cable 150 is connected with an automa-
tically adjustable electrode 170 for contact with the front end of the bar after it has
been fed forward.
Any suitable circuit-changer may be employed. The circuit-changer berein shown
comprises a plate 161, studs 162 and 163 extending through said plate and insulated
therefrom, a switch lever 164 pivoted to the stud. 162, a spring 165 for holding said
switch lever out of contact with the stud 163 and a cam 166 on the die shaft 60 for

page_text: swinging said lever into contact with the stud 163 for closing the circuit. The end of
the switch lever 164 is provided with an insulator 167 to insulate it from the cam 166.
An insulator 168 is inserted between the switch lever and its spring. The inner end
of the stud 162 is connected with the cable 140 and the inner end of the stud 163 is
connected with the cable 141. The plate 161 is provided with vertical slots 169 which
permit its rise and fall with the vertical adjustment of the shaft 60 and its bearings.
The insulated handle 164ª may be applied to the switch lever for operating it by
hand.
The adjustable electrode 170 herein shown, comprises a movable stud 171 connecte:
at one end to the cable 150, and projecting at the other end into the path of the
bar 100 on the front side of the dies. A horizontal arm 172 provided with a longi-
tudinal slot 173 is attached at one end to the block 27 and extends parallel with the
line of feed of the bar. An insulating spool or slide 174 is inserted in the slot 173 of
this bar and carries the movable stud 171 and insulates it from the bar. A spring 175
is interposed between one end of the slot and said slide and tends to push the latter
toward the dies, and bring the outer end of the movable stud into contact with the
front end of the bar as it is fed forward. The outer end of the slot 173 may serve as
a stop to arrest the movement of the slide and prevent contact of the movable stud
with the dies.
כל
I do not confine myself to applying my improved process to making rolled forgings,
as it is equally well adapted for use in making "drop or other forgings where the
metal is heated before being acted upon by the dies.
The operation is as follows: The dies being retracted and the circuit broken as
illustrated in figure 4, a bar 100 from which the articles are to be forged is passed
through the insulated eye 90, through the insulated clamping sleeve 110, and through
the insulated eye 91, between the reciprocating carriage 30 and die wheel 61 into
contact with the automatically adjustable electrode 170. The adjustable clamp 142
constituting the other electrode or terminal is then applied to the outer end of the
bar. The operator may then close the circuit through the bar by swinging the switch
lever 164 into contact with the stud 163 and a current of large volume is thereby
passed through the bar. The resistance of the bar being much greater than that of
the conducting cables, heat is rapidly developed in the bar according to the well-
known principle of electric action. The circuit is held closed until the bar is raised
to a forging heat and the switch lever is then released and the spring 165 swings it
out of contact with the stud 163 and breaks the circuit.
The machine is then started and the arc-shaped die $1 oscillates in the direction of
the arrow 180 and the reciprocating die 30 moves in the direction of the arrow 181.
During this operation the circuit remains broken, no current passing through the
bar, and the article to be produced as 200, is roll-forged by the axial rotation of the
bar between the dies, at right angles to the movement thereof, as illustrated in
figures 1 and 9.
The carriage 30 and the die wheel 61 move a sufficient distance in the direction of
the arrow 180 and 181 to carry the dies entirely past the bar 100 and out of contact
therewith, as illustrated in figure 5. As soon as the bar is released from the dies the
lower end of the cam 166 strikes the insulated face of the switch lever 164 and swings
it into contact with the stud 163, thereby closing the circuit and switching a current
of large volume through the bar for heating it. The belt-shipper is then so actuated,
in any well-known manner, automatically or otherwise, as to reverse the movements
of the carriage and the die-wheel and the dies 80 and 81 are retracted in the direction
of the arrows 190 and 191 into the position shown in figure 4. After this reversal
and before the rear ends of the dies in their backward stroke come in contact with
the forged end 200 of the bar the switch lever 164 is released by the cam 166 and the
circuit opened by the action of the spring 165 so that no current passes through
the bar while the dies are in contact therewith during the retracting operation. As
soon as the dies are fully retracted out of contact with the bar, the upper end of the
cam 166 swings the switch lever 164 again into contact with the stud 163 and turns

page_text: on the current for heating the bar. The bar is thus subjected to a heating current
at each end of the die-strokes.
The belt-shipper may be so actuated as to cause a dwell of the driving belts on the
loose pulleys at each reversal for a sufficient time to cause the proper heating of the,
bar, if found necessary, as may be the case when bars of comparatively large size are,
being forged.
When the retraction of the dies is nearly completed the angular portion of the cam
groove 131 of the cam 130 comes in contact with the pin 121 of the lever 120 and
swings said lever from the position shown in figure 9 to the position shown in figure 10.
This action of the lever moves the sleeve 110 toward the dies and the eccentric
clamp 114 on said sleeve grips the bar and causes it to feed forward in a direction at
right angles to the movement of the dies and into the path thereof and into contact
with the electrode 171.
When the machine is reversed for a forward motion of the dies to effect the forging
operation, the cam groove 151 of the cam 130 instantly returns the lever 120 into the
position shown in figure 9, whereby the sleeve 110 is retracted into position for
effecting the next feed of the bar, as shown in figure 9. This retraction of the sleeve
releases the grip of its clamp from the bar, whereby the latter is left free to rotate
under the action of the dies.
The forged article 200 which is held to the bar by a small fin may be knocked off
by the operator or by mechanical means, or may fall of its own weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. That improvement in the art of making metallic forgings which consists in
subjecting the material to a heating current of electricity while in the forging
machine.
2. That improvement in the art of making metallic forgings which consists in
subjecting the material to a heating current of electricity during the process of rolling.
3. The improved process of making metallic forgings which consists in subjecting
the material to a heating current of electricity while out of contact with the forming
dies, substantially as described.
4. The improved process of making rolled forgings which consists in subjecting
the material to a heating current of electricity as it leaves the forming dies and
breaking said current as it enters said dies.
5. The improved process of making rolled forgings which consists in passing
the material between companion reciprocating dies one of which has a vertical
rotary and the other a horizontal movement, and subjecting said material to a
heating current of electricity while out of contact with said dies, substantially as
described.
6. The improved process of making metallic forgings which consists in subjecting
the material to a heating current of electricity while out of contact with the
forming dies, said current being automatically broken by the action of the forging
machine as the dies engage the material and closed as they leave it substantially
as described.
7. The method of roll forging articles from a metallic bar, which consists in
subjecting said bar to the action of a heating current of electricity and to a rolling
operation at right angles to the axis of the bar.
8. The method of roll forging articles from a metallic bar, which consists in
subjecting said bar to a succession of rolling operations at right angles to the axis
of the har, and to a heating current of electricity between the successive rolling
operations.
9. The method of roll-forging articles from a metallic bar, which consists in
subjecting the bar to a succession of rolling operations at right angles to the axis
of the bar, intermittently feeding said bar between said rolling operations, and

page_text: subjecting the bar intermittently to the action of a heating current of electricity
between the rolling operations.
10. The combination of two movable dies, a bar-feeder for feeding a bar at right
angles to the movements of the dies and an electric circuit for passing a heating
current through said bar.
11. The combination of two roll-forging dies, a bar-feeder for intermittently
feeding a metallic bar at right angles to the path of the dies, an electric circuit
for passing a heating current through said bar, and an automatic circuit-chamber
for holding the circuit open while the dies are in action.
12. The combination of two roll-forging dies, a bar-feeder for intermittently
feeding a metallic bar at right angles to the path of the dies, and an electric
circuit provided with adjustable terminals for connection with said bar.
13. The combination of two dies, an insulated bar-support, an insulated bar-feeder,.
and an electric circuit for heating the bar being operated on.
14. The combination of two dies, an insulated bar-support, an insulated bar-feeder,
an electric circuit for heating the bar being operated on, and an automatic circuit-
changer for holding the circuit open while the dies are in contact with the bar
and closing the circuit when the dies release the bar.
15. The combination of forging dies, insulated supports for the blank to be
forged, a movable clamping sleeve, a lever connected with said sleeve for reciprocating
it, and a cam for oscillating said lever.
16. The combination of forging dies, insulated supports for the blank to be
forged, a sleeve provided with an eccentric clamping disk, a lever connected with
said sleeve for reciprocating it, and a cam for actuating said lever, and an electric
circuit having two adjustable electrodes for connection with said bar.
17. The combination of two forging dies, a har-feeder for feeding a bar to said dies
and adjustable electrodes for passing a heating current through said bar.
18. An adjustable electrode for a forging machine comprising a slotted arm, a
slide supported on said arm and insulated therefrom, and a spring for actuating
said slide, said slide being connected with an electric circuit and provided with a
stud for contact with the blank to be electrified
Dated this 10th dox of
1900
Witnesses:
CHESTER MARR,
Bookkeeper, Boston, Mass.
ETTIE F. PHILIPSON,
Stenographer, Boston, Mass.
GEORGE DEXTER BURTON.