Plates and other Large Slabs and Ingots in Forging Presses.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th May. 1889
Plates and other Large Slabs and Ingots in Forging Presses.
We, ALEXANDER WILSON, of Cyclops Works, Sheffield, in the County of York, and
SAMUEL OATES, of 45 Kearsley Road, Sheffield aforesaid, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in mechanical appliances for travelling
or moving forwards and backwards as required armour plates; and other large slabs
or ingots during the operation of their being forged under hydraulic or other
presses.
The usual method of doing this is by means of large levers; the fulcrums of which
take their support from chains carried by overhead cranes or girders; the levers are
partially counterbalanced or otherwise; according to the weight of the plate that is
being forged; (which is sometimes over 60 tons) in any case, these levers require a
large quantity of men to manipulate them; but, with the appliances as described in
this invention, the largest armour plates, slabs or ingots, can be travelled backwards
and forwards at will, with one or two men only, and with much greater safety.
For the purposes of this invention we employ a strong portable frame, or two
by preference, one in front, and the other in rear of the anvil of the press,
in which are carried a quantity of geared and driven carrying rollers, but, as both
the frames are alike, we need only describe one, and the action thereof; these
rollers derive a revolving motion from the vertical motion of the moving parts of
the press, under which the armour plate is being forged, by means of a rack that is
connected to the crosshead of the press, or its equivalent, and a spur wheel which is
keyed on to the extended axle of one of the carrying rollers, as the crosshead of the
press is caused to move up or down as desired the rack actuates the spur wheel into
which it is made to engage, thus giving the spur wheel and the carrying roller on
which it is keyed a revolving motion; this motion is simultaneously conveyed to all
the carrying rollers by means of intermediate toothed wheels which are geared into
other toothed wheels that are keyed on the overhanging axle of each roller, thus
making all the rollers revolve in the same direction.

page_text: 3
Ench of the portable frames on which these rollers with their necessary toothed
wheels revolve is holted or otherwiso secured to a strong rising and falling “standing
or floor plate, this "standing" is carried on one or more girders which are supported,
also raised or lowered by means of one or more hydraulic rains fixed in a recess or
pit underneath the "standing" plate the cylinders in which all these supporting rams
work are connected in common, by means of pipes, to another hydraulic cylinder,
commonly known as an
" accumulator the ram of which is weighted to such an
extent as will give the required hydraulic pressure to support the girders, movable
standing plate, frame, rollers, and the armour plate which is about to be operated
upon.
"3
The working level of the "movable standing" is o determined that the top of the
rollers on which the armour plate rest, is a few inches above the top face of tho
anvil of the press to enable the armour plate to travel over it without coming in
contact there with, when the armour plate has been travelled into the desired position
between the faces of the anvil and the "pellet" of the press, and force or pressure
is brought to hear upon it for the purpose of squeezing or forging it to the
desired thickness, the preponderating pressure of the press over that in the supporting
cylinders, causes the rollers to sink below the level of the face of the anvil con-
sequently the frame, standing, girders and supporting rams, also sink or retire in
opposition to the hydraulic pressure of the accumulator therefore as the movable
standing &e. lowers the ram in the "accumulator" rises, and when the force or
pressure is withdrawn from the forged surface of the armour plate, and the top tool,
or pellet, of the press is caused to rise from it, the hydraulic pressure of the
aemulator acting on the supporting rams underneath the standings causes
them to rise automatically to their determined level as before.
"
The armour plate is then travelled any desired distance under the press between the
anvil and the pellet, by means of the rollers &c. us before described, after which
the force or pressure of the press is again brought to bear on frush surfaces of
the armour plate, the same operation of sinking, rising and revolving of the carrying
rollers, travelling and squeezing of the armour plate is continued until the full length
of the armour plate has been operated upon; the direction of the revolving rollers
is then reversed and the armour plate is caused to return through the press. but
on its way it is operated upon in a similar manner as before described, this squeezing
or pressing, and travelling of the armour plate backwards and forwards is carried on
until it is forged to the desired thickness.
"
We can if desirable give a flexible support to the rising and falling "Standings
by means of springs either spiral, conical, volute or by the ordinary flat bar bearing
spring the latter of which we prefer, as the weight they have to support can be
concentrated on their centres. In this case we can give greater or less resistance to
downward pressure by increasing or diminishing the number of springs, or by using
stronger or weaker ones as we may think proper, and when the rising and falling
motion is not required, solid packings, or blocks can be fixed under the "Standings
to prevent any pressure acting on the springs tending to deflect them.
In some cases it might be more suitable and convenient to give a flexible,
or yielding support to the rising and falling "Standings" by means of "Counter-
balanced levers."
In these cases we can, as desired, give greater or loss resistance to downward
pressure by moving the balance weights further from, or nearer to, the fulcrums on
which the levers aro poised.
To prevent the "Standings" rising higher than the determined lovel, the counter-
balanced lovers are allowed to rest on suitably adjustod wooden packings that are
fixed underneath the counter-balanced levers; and when the rising and falling
motions are not required, solid packings or blocks can be fixed under the "Standings
to prevent their sinking or retiring below the fixed or determined lovel, as beforo
described.
But in any caso, whether wo use hydraulic ramus, springs, or lovers, for the purpose
of giving a flexible or yiolding support to rising and falling Standings," we mako
"1

page_text: them rise and fall in "planes," parallel with the top face of the anvil, to enable the
plates, slabs, or ingots, to be forged straight, level, and parallel in thickness; which
is of the utmost importance.
Although we have described the mechanical arrangements and appliances for
revolving the carrying rollers by motion taken from the crosshead of the forging press,
it must be understood that wo can, if found advisable, employ small reversing engines
for the same purpose.
Our preference for having two portable frames in which the carrying rollers
revolve instead of one, is, that when all the weight of an armour plate or other heavy
slab or ingot is carried, for instance, on the front frame only, there is no unnecessary
or undue strain thrown upon the other or rear "Standing" and its supporting rams,
which would be the case if only one frame was employed to carry the front and rear
rollers; and as the frames are self-contained, and separate, they can more easily bo
fixed to, and removed from the front or rear movable "Standings," and taken away
by the aid of cranes, in case it is required to make other forgings under the same press,
such as marine shafts, and gun tubes &c., in which cases this carrying roller appliances
would not be suitable for the purpose; the movable standing would also require to be
let down on to a solid and firm support by withdrawing the hydraulic pressure from
tho supporting rams.

page_text: Plates and other Large Slabs and Ingots in Forging Presses.
We. ALEXANDER WILSON, of Cyclops Works, Sheffield, in the County of York,
and SAMUEL OATES, of 45 Kearsley Road, Sheffield aforesaid, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to bo
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention has for its object improvements in mechanical appliances for travelling
or moving forwards and backwards as required armour plates; and other large
slabs or ingots during the operation of their being forging under hydraulic or other
pressos.
The usual method of doing this is by means of large lovers; the fulcrums of which
take their support from chains carried by overhead cranes or girders; the levers are
partially counterbalanced or otherwise, according to the weight of the plate that is being
forged (which is sometimes over 60 tons) in any case, these levers require a large
quantity of men to manipulate them; but, with the appliances as described in this
invention, the largest armour plates, slabs or ingots, can be travelled backwards and
forwards at will, with one or two men only, and with much greater safety.
For the purposes of this invention we employ a strong portable frame, or two by
preference, one in front, and the other in rear of the anvil of the press, in which are
carried a quantity of geared and driven carrying rollers, but, as both the frames are
alike, we need only describo one, and the action theroof; these rollers derive a
revolving motion from the vertical motion of the moving parts of the press, under
which the armour plate is being forged, by means of a rack that is connected to the cross-
head of the press, or its equivalent, and a spur wheel which is keyed on to the extended
axle of one of the carrying rollers, as the crosshead of the press is caused to move
up or down as desired the rack actuates the spur wheel into which it is made to
engage, thus giving the spur wheel and the carrying roller on which it is koyed a
revolving motion; this motion is simultaneously conveyed to all the carrying rollers
by means of intermediate toothed wheels which are geared into other toothed
whcols that are keyed on the overhanging axle of each roller, thus making all the
rollers revolve in the same direction.
Each of the portable frames on which these rollers with their necessary toothel
wheels revolve is bolted or otherwise secured to a strong rising and falling "standing"
or floor plate, this "standing" is carried on one or more girders which are supported,
also raised or lowered by means of one or more hydraulic rams fixed in a recess or
pit underneath the "standing" plate the cylinders in which all these supporting rams
work are connected in common, by means of pipes, to another hydraulic cylinder,
commonly known as an "accumulator" the rain of which is weighted to such an
extent as will give the required hydraulic pressure to support the girders, movable
standing plato, frame, rollers, and the arinour plate which is about to be operated
upon.

page_text: The working level of the "movable standing" is so determined that the top of
the rollers on which the armour plate rests, is a few inches above the top face of the
anvil of the press to enable the armour plate to travel over it without coming in
contact therewith, when the armour plate has been travelled into the desired position
between the faces of the anvil and the "peliet" of the press, and force or pressure is
brought to bear upon it for the purpose of squeezing or forging it to the desired
thickness, the preponderating pressure of the press over that in the supporting
cylinders, causes the rollers to sink below the level of the face of the anvil consequently
the frame, standing girders and supporting rams, also sink or retire in opposition to
the hydraulic pressure of the accumulator, therefore as the movable standing &c.
lowers the ram in the " accumulator rises, and when the force or pressure is
withdrawn from the forged surface of the armour plate, and the top tool or pellet, of
the press is caused to rise from it, the hydraulic pressure of the accumulator acting
on the supporting rams underneath the "standings" causes them to rise automatically
to their determined level as before.
"
The armour plate is then travelled any desired distance under the press between the
anvil and the pellet, by means of the rollers &c. as before described, after which the
force or pressure of the press is again brought to bear on fresh surfaces of the armour
plate, the same operation of sinking rising and revolving of the carrying rollers
travelling and squeezing of the armour plate is continued until the full length of the
armour plate has been operated upon, the direction of the revolving rollers is then
reversed and the armour plate is caused to return through the press, but on its way
it is operated upon in a similar manner as before described, this squeezing or pressing
and travelling of the armour plate backwards and forwards is carried on until it is
forged to the desired thickness.
We can if desirable give a flexible support to the rising and falling "Standings "
by means of springs, either spiral. conical, volute, or by the ordinary Hat bar bearing
spring, the latter of which we prefer, as the weight they have to support can be
concentrated on their centres. In this case we can give greater or less resistance to
downward pressure by increasing or diminishing the number of springs, or by using
stronger or weaker ones as we may think proper, and when the rising and falling
motion is not required solid packings or blocks can be fixed under the "Standings'
to prevent any pressure acting on the springs tending to deflect them.
In some cases it might be more suitable and convenient to give a flexible or
yielding support to the rising and falling "Standings" by means of counter
balanced levers.
In these cases we can, as desired give greater or less resistance to downward
pressure, by moving the balance weights further from or nearer to the fulcrums on
which the levers are poised.
i.
To prevent the Standings" rising higher than the determined level, the counter
balanced levers are allowed to rest on suitably adjusted wooden packings that are
fixed underneath the counter-balanced levers and when the rising and falling motions
are not required, solid packings or blocks can be fixed under the "Standings" to
prevent their sinking or retiring below the fixed or determined level as before
described.
But in any case, whether we use hydraulic rams, springs or levers for the purpose
of giving a flexible or yielding support to rising and falling "Standings" we make
then rise and fall in "planes" parallel with the top face of the anvil to enable the
plates, slabs or ingots, to be forged straight, level and parallel in thickness, which is
of the utmost importance.
Although we have described the mechanical arrangements and appliances for
revolving the carrying rollers by motion taken from the crosshead of the forging
press, it must be understood that we can, if found advisable employ small reversing
engines for the same purpose.
Our preference for having two portable frames in which the carrying rollers
revolve instead of one, is that when all the weight of an armour plate or other
heavy slab or ingot is carried, for instance, on the front frame only, there is no

page_text: unnecessary or undue strain thrown upon the other or rear "Standing" and its
supporting rams which would be the case if only one frame was employed to carry
the front and rear rollers, and as the frames are self contained and separate they
can more easily be fixed to and removed from the front or rear movable "Standings
and taken away by the aid of cranes, in case it is required to make other forgings
under the same press, such as marine shafts, and gun tubes &c. in which cases,
this carrying roller appliances would not be suitable for the purpose, the movable
standing would also require to be let down on to a solid and firm support by
withdrawing the hydraulic pressure from the supporting rams.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is an end elevation showing part of a hydraulic forging press constructed
in accordance with our invention; it shows the relative positions of the anvil: rollers:
portable frames: movable standings: and supporting rams &c.
Figure 2 is a part front elevation: and Figure 8 is a part plan of the same: in all
of which A represents an anvil: B the top tool or pellet: and the crosshund of a
bydraulic forging press.
D and D are the sides of the two portable frames in which hearings for the
carrying rollers E and E¹ are fitted. F and are the toothed wheels which are
koyol on to the axles of the carrying rollers: and the toothed wheels G and G' are
intermediate wheels: which being geared into the wheels F and F make them all
revolve in the same direction. The spur wheels H. and H are keyed on to the
extended axle of one of the driving rollers in each frame; K to K' are racks which
are suspended from brackets L and L' that are connected to the crosshead (); these
racks can be made to engage into the teeth of the spur wheels H and H' at pleasure;
but when they are not required to actuate the wheels they are all made to swing cloar
of them by means of the connecting rod M. and lever N. The lever N can be moved
by hand or by a piston and rod working inside a small cylinder actuated by either
steam or water pressure.
When the carrying rollers are required to revolve from right to left the racks K'
and K are made to engage into the wheels II and H but when they are required
to revolve in the opposite direction the racks K' and K³ are thrown out of gear with
the wheels H and H'; and racks K and K are made to engage into the same wheels
also by means of the rod M and lover N ; the crosshead C being lifted by the return
or lifting rams of the press in both cases O and O' are the rising and falling
"Standing" or floor plates on which the portable frames D and D' are temporarily
fixed: P and P are the hydraulic rams and cylinders for supporting the same: Qis
the piping which connects all the supporting ram cylinders P to the cylinder of the
accumulator (not shown) R and R' are brackets which slide in channels S nud S¹ for
relieving the supporting rams from transverse strains when most of the weight of tho
armour plate is being carried by the rollers nearest to the anvil A: the stop bars T
and T are connected to the top of the supporting rains P: and are so made that they
will prevent the rams lifting the "standing" beyond the height determined for the
purpose as hereinbefore described.
Figure 4 is a part side elovation and Figure 5 is a part plan of an hydraulic
forging press constructed in accordance with our invention, and in which springs are
provided to support the standings. A is the anvil: D) and D' sides of portable frames:
E and E¹ carrying rollers: 0 and 01 are the rising and falling "standings" and U
and U are the springs for giving a flexible support to the "standings": R and R'
are gusset brackets which assist to concentrate the weight of standing &c. on the
centre of the springs and S and S₁ are channels in which the brackets slide: and V
and V¹ are brackets which form guides for the spring clips to work in.
Figuro 6 is a part side elevation and Figure 7 a part plan of an hydraulic forging
press constructed in accordance with our invention and in which the standings are

page_text: supported by balance weights: A is the anvil: D and D' are the sides of the portable
frames: E and E' are carrying rollers: 0 and 0¹are the rising and falling standings:
U and U are the levers with their balance weights: which give a yielding or
flexible support to the "standings" R and R are gusset brackets which assist to
concentrate the weight of the "standings" with their superimposed frames: rollers:
and armour plates etc. on the pins in the short end of the levers U and U; S and S¹
are the channels in which the brackets Rand R' slide: and V and V1 are brackuts
which form supports to the fulcrums of the lovers and guides for the rams P and P¹.
W and W show position where packings can be inserted to form a rigid support to
the rising and falling "Standings" when this motion is not required.
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. Forging presses with rising and falling standings provided with rollers and
driving gear to turn the rollers and carry the armour plate or other work through the
press substantially as described.
2. Forging presses with rising and falling standings and rollers on the standings
which can be connected by gear with the cross head of the press in order to turn the
rollers and carry the armour plato or other work through the press substantially as
described.
3. Forging presses with rising and falling standings supported by hydraulic
rams so that they may yield readily to the pressure of the top tool substantially
as described.
4. Forging presses with rising and falling standings supporting movable frames
with rollers one in front and the other in rear of the anvil substantially as described.
5. Forging presses substantially as described and represented by the annexed
drawings.