IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING METALS IN THEIR FLUID STATE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir Joseph Whitworth, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Baronet, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING METALS IN THEIR FLUID
STATE."
Scaled the 20th November 1874, and dated the 7th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir Joseph
Whitworth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th September 1874.
I, Sir JOSEPH WHITWORTH, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Baronet, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING METALS IN THEIR
FLUID STATE," to be as follows:-
This Invention bas for its object improvements in hydraulic machinery
for compressing steel or other metals whilst in a fluid state. For these
purposes, and especially for the manufacture of my fluid, compressed
steel in the manner described in the Specification of former Letters

page_text: Patent granted to me, and dated the 24th day of November 1865, Number
3018, I construct hydraulic pressing machinery provided as hereinafter
described with arrangements of mechanism for raising and lowering
the head of the hydraulic press, and for locking the same in any
position; also for indicating the amount of movement of the pressing
ram.
The press has four hollow pillars, which have screws cut upon them
for part of their length, and they are attached to the base of the press
by nuts. On the top of the pillars is fixed a cast-iron head or table
supporting a hydraulic lifting cylinder, to the ram of which is fitted a
cross head carrying two suspension bars. These bars are fastened at
their lower ends to a moving head working between the base and the
fixed head of the press. This moving head is raised or lowered for the
convenience of employing moulds of different lengths by the admission
or exit of water from the under side of the ram in the lifting cylinder.
The moving head is capable of being locked securely and rapidly in any
position in which it may be required by the following means:-On the
pillars there are four circular nuts, which are rotated when the head
rises or falls; they serve to hold the moving head in position when the
pressure is being exerted by the pressing ram. Connected with the
moving head are two quick pitch screws passing through two nuts
carried in the fixed head or upper table of the press. Two spur wheels
are keyed on the quick pitch screws, and gear into corresponding wheels
on the periphery of the four circular nuts.
When the moving head is raised or lowered by the lifting cylinder
the quick pitch screws are forced through the nuts on the fixed head,
and are so caused to revolve and give motion to the four nuts on the
screwed pillars. These nuts revolve at the same speed as the moving
head rises or falls, but with a clearence between to avoid friction.
When the moving head has been brought to the place where it is
required to act it is made to take a bearing upon the pillar nuts. To
accomplish this the quick pitch screws are locked to prevent them from
revolving by an arrangement fitted on to the moving head, and the
nuts upon the fixed head are turned, thus raising the two quick pitch
screws, and consequently the head to which they are attached, up to the
pillar nuts. These nuts on the fixed head are connected with two spur

page_text: wheels, and are worked by two racks moved horizontally by a hydraulic
ram.
When it is desired to move the pillar nuts the moving head is first
slightly lowered by the same mechanism.
The locking motion applied to the quick pitch screws is also useful in
taking the dead weight of the head from the hydraulic lifting cylinder
in case the press may have to stand with the moving head suspended.
The base of the press is fitted with a hydraulic cylinder, which raises
the table carrying the object under compression.
For the convenience of running the fluid metal into the mould, the
mould is placed on a travelling table worked by a hydraulic ram situated
at the back of the press; when the metal is run into the mould the
table carrying the mould box upon it may be drawn underneath to
receive the pressure.
In order to shew how much the casting is reduced in length whilst
under pressure I fix to one or more of the pillars an indicating apparatus,
showing the amount of movement given by the pressing ram.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sir Joseph Whitworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Sir JOSEPH
WHITWORTH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Baronet, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
› Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Joseph Whitworth, Her special license
that I, the said Joseph Whitworth, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Whitworth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: 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 HYDRAULIC
MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING METALS IN THEIR FLUID STATE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Whitworth, my
executors 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
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 Joseph Whitworth, 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 tlie following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in hydraulic machinery
for compressing steel or other metals whilst in a fluid state. For these
purposes and especially for the manufacture of my fluid compressed
steel in the manner described in the Specification of former Letters 2
Patent granted to me, and dated the 24th day of November 1865,
No. 3018, I construct hydraulic pressing machinery provided as herein-
after described with arrangements of mechanism for raising and lowering
the head of the hydraulic press and for securing the same in any
position; also for indicatining the amount of movement of the pressing 2
ram.
The press has four hollow pillars which have screws cut upon them.for
part of their length, and they are attached to the base of the press by
nuts. On the top of the pillars is fixed a cast-iron head or table
supporting an hydraulic lifting cylinder or cylinders to the ram of which 3
is fitted a cross head carrying two suspension bars. These bars are
fastened at their lower ends to a moving head working between the base
and the fixed head of the press; this moving head is raised or lowered
for the convenience of employing moulds of different length by the
admission or exit of water from the under side of the ram in the lifting 3
cylinder.
'
.

page_text: The moving head is capable of being locked securely and rapidly in
any position in which it may be required by the following means:-On
the pillars there are four circular nuts which are rotated when the head
rises or falls; they serve to hold the moving head in position when the
pressure is being exerted by the pressing ram. Connected with the
moving head are two quick pitch screws passing through two nuts
carried in the fixed head or upper table of the press. Two spur wheels
are keyed on the quick pitch screws and gear into corresponding wheels
on the periphery of the four circular nuts.
When the moving head is raised or lowered by the lifting cylinder
the quick pitch screws are forced through the nuts on the fixed head,
and are so caused to revolve and give motion to the four nuts on the
screwed pillars; these nuts revolve at the same speed as the moving
head rises or falls, but with a clearance between to avoid friction.
When the moving head has been brought to the place where it is
required to act it is made to take a bearing upon the pillar nuts. To
accomplish this the nuts upon the quick pitch screws are connected
with two-spur wheels, and are worked by two racks upon a bar which is
moved horizontally by a hydraulic ram. There is also an arrangement
fitted on to the moving head for locking the quick pitch screws when
required.
The locking motion applied to the quick pitch screws is also useful in
taking the dead weight of the head from the hydraulic lifting cylinders
in case the press may have to stand with the moving head suspended.
The base of the press is fitted with a hydraulic cylinder which raises
the table carrying the object under compression.
For the convenience of running the fluid metal into the mould, the
mould is placed on a travelling table worked by a hydraulic ram situated
at the back of the press. When the metal is run into the mould the
table carrying the mould box upon it may be drawn underneath to
receive the pressure.
In order to show how much the casting is reduced in length, whilst
under pressure I fix to one or more of the pillars an indicating apparatus
shewing the amount of movement given by the pressing ram.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood,
and readily carried into effect, I will prooeed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.

page_text: moving head A can thus be raised or lowered according as the water is
admitted or withdrawn from the under surface of the ram F.
The moving head is capable of being secured rapidly and effectually
in any position in which it may be required by the following means:-
Upon the main screwed pillars there are four large nuts K, K, K, K,
which when brought into contact with the movable head A serve to
hold the latter firmly in any position when the pressure is being applied
by the ram L.
Connected with the moving head are two quick pitch screws M, M,
passing through nuts N, N, carried in the fixed head or upper table B
of the press, and as the movable head A. is raised or lowered by the
lifting cylinder E, the quick pitch screws M, M, are driven through the
fixed nuts N, N, and so the screws are caused to rotate and with them
the spur wheels O, O, which are keyed to the screws. The spur
wheels Ŏ, O, gear into other spur wheels P, P, formed on the outside
periphery of the locking nuts K, K, K, K, whereby (there being at this
time a small amount of clearance between the face of the locking nuts
and the movable head) as the movable head is raised or lowered by the
lifting cylinder E the quick pitch screws are rotated, and their rotation
is communicated through the spur wheels O, O, and P, P, to the locking
nuts K, K, which thus ascend or descend at the same rate as the moving
head A.
When the moving head has been brought to the position required
before the application of the pressure by the ram L the movable head A
and the nuts K, K, K, K, are brought firmly into contact so as to look
the head in this position. For this purpose the nuts N, N, are rotated
to the required extent by the rack R, actuated by the hydraulic
cylinder p. The rack R gears into a spur wheel formed on the periphery
of the nuts N, N. The rotation of the nuts N, N, is communicated to the
quick pitch screws M, M, and thus to the spur wheels.O,.O, which them-
selves gear with the wheels P, P, and so revolve the locking nuts K, K,
K, K, bringing them into firm contact with the movable head A, which
in this manner takes a direct bearing upon the main screwed pillars,
and is immovable under the pressure of the ram L. The nuts K, K, K, K,
and the movable head A having in this manner been brought firmly
into contact, the quick pitch screws M, M, are also locked to prevent
them from revolving. This is accomplished by a small movement of the

page_text: handles Q actuating screws, whereby the collars d, d, keyed to the quick
pitch screws are firmly gripped between the dies e and the blocks f, in
which manner the rotation of the screws M, M, is prevented, as also that
of the locking nuts K, K, K, K, since the latter cannot rotate without
the quick pitch screws M, M, revolving at the same time, and also by t
locking the quick pitch screws in this manner the dead weight of the..
head may be taken from the lifting cylinder or cylinders E, in case the
press is required to stand with the head suspended.
The reverse action of unlocking the head A, in order to raise or lower
the same, is effected by the same operations performed in the reverse 1
order, i.e., the quick pitch screws are first unlocked by relieving the
grip at d, d, by a small movement of the handles Q in the opposite
direction to that previously described, and then a movement of the
rack R by the hydraulic cylinder p rotates the nuts N, N, and so the
screws M, M, which actuating the gearing at O, O, and P, P, revolves 1
the locking nuts K, K, K, K, through a small space, thus leaving the
necessary clearance between them and the movable head, when the latter
can be raised or lowered as required by the lifting cylinder E.
It will be observed that in order to obtain the necessary difference in
obliquity between the screw threads on the columns D and those on the 2
screw. M I make the columns hollow, and thereby obtain a large
diameter without a wasteful expenditure of metal; this is a feature of
considerable importance. The appliances for causing the nuts N to
remain in close proximity to the moving head whilst it is raised and
lowered, and for rapidly bringing the nuts into contact with the head as 2
soon as it has reached the desired position are also features of great
importance. To the under side of the movable head A is bolted the
plunger t, which enters the top of the mould, and is brought into
contact with the surface of the fluid metal before the head is locked,
and the pressure is applied by the large ram L. The plunger t is shewn 3
hollow in the Drawing in order to admit the core head employed when
the metal is pressed in the form of hoops or hollow cylinders.
which
The base of the press consists of a massive foundation C, upon
is placed the large cylinder R¹ and ram L for giving the pressure
required, while above the cylinder R¹ is the table J placed upon wheels. 3
When the ram L is lowered, and the pressure off, the table J can then
be run forward for the reception of the mould, and when the mould has

page_text: been filled, it with its contents of fluid metal is drawn backwards by the
horizontal hydraulic cylinder T and ram 8 into its position beneath the
movable head A. of the press.
The apparatus U is employed to record the movement of the pressing
ram L, or indicate the reduction in length which the casting undergoes
whilst under pressure. The slide U attached to one of the pillars of the
press carries a projecting lug, which is kept in contact with a corres-
ponding lug or projecting stop W fixed upon the table J, so that as the
table J rises with the pressing ram L the slide U is also carried upwards,
and the amount of its movement is registered upon the dial plate V by
the pointer Y.
The split stops b, b, b, b, secured to the pillars of the press by bolts
and clips, are for supporting the movable head A. when the press is not
in use, and so relieve the lifting cylinders E, E. The stops are made in
two parts for the convenience of taking them away if required.
I claim as my improvements in hydraulic machinery for compressing
metals in their fluid state,-
1. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved hydraulic machine for compressing metals in their fluid state,
constructed substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for rapidly raising, lowering, and securing the
moving head of the press, constructed and arranged substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir Joseph Whitworth, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Ava