THE MANUFACTURE OF SPRINGS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Tranfield at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1881.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
JOHN TRANFIELD, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
THE MANUFACTURE OF SPRINGS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of springs, and to
appliances connected therewith.
This Invention consists in improved appliances used with an ordinary steam or
hydraulic press for bending a set of spring plates at one operation to their ultimate
shape, and in improved appliances for conveying the bent spring plates from the
press to the hardening tank and hardening them.
The bottom bed or block is made in parts instead of being solid, and is
hinged or pivotted to the under frame of the press. A screw or lever fixed or
fitted to the under frame raises and lowers the bottom bed. On the bottom bed is
"
"
or can be placed a bottom "crib or plate, having the form of the back plate
of the spring, and the upper part of the bottom bed is of the same form or there-
abouts. The top bed, which is fixed or fitted to the piston rod or ram of the press,
is of the form or thereabouts of the reverse face (to the back plate) of the spring.
To the top bed is or can be fitted a top "crib," having the forin or thereabouts of
that face of the spring which is opposte to the back plate. To the said top "crib
or bed plate, or both, are fitted set screws, which project toward and bear against
the spring plates or projections on the said top "crib," or the said top bed may
be substituted therefor. To the said top bed are fixed or fitted clip bolts or
catches, which can be turned under the back plate of the spring when the bottom
bed is lowered by the screw or lever. In forming the spring the set of straight
plates is placed on the bottom "crib or bottom bed, and the piston or ram being
advanced the set screws or bolts in the top "crib" or their substitutes press on the
spring plates and bend them to the form of the botton bed or bottom" crib," and
top bed or top crib. The screw or lever is then actuated to lower parts of the
bottom bed and "crib," and the hooks or catches attached to the top bed are
turned under the spring, so that the spring can be raised by and with the piston
rod or ram.

page_text: is
The spring as it leaves the press is or can be conveyed on a carriage on to or to
the side of the hardening tank. A cage or cramp is employed to lower the spring
into the hardening tank, the said cage or cramp being of the following general
description, that is to say :-A bottom plate of the form of the bottom "crib
jointed at its ends, and secured to the outer ends of two top plates. The inner
ends of these top plates are secured together by bolts, wedges, or equivalent
appliances. The top and bottom plates of the cage are stayed or secured in position
by clip bolts or equivalent appliances. The top plates are fitted with set screws,
which bear on the spring plates and keep them in position. The said set screws
have or can have a flange or flanges, which will clip the side or sides of the plates
to keep them from moving sideways in the cage or cramp.
The tank can or will have a perforated or recessed plate, on which the spring is
received from the press.
Over the tank are runner bars and runners with chains
having balanced weights at one end, and pronged forks or hooks at the other, by
which the spring and cage can be raised from the table and lowered into the tank.
Instead of the balance weights, chains, etcetera, levers or cranes can be employed.
In hardening a set of spring plates they are placed securely in the cage or cramp
and lowered edgeways into the tank.
As a modification the upper part of the cramp (as described in two parts) can be
in one piece, and be fitted to the rod or ram of the press, and be used for bending
the plates, and be removed from the press with the spring, and have a back or
bottom plate (as in the cage or cramp above described) fitted to it, and be secured
by the clip bolts, and be used as a cage or cramp for bardening the set of plates in
position, as above described, in reference to the cage, which is a separate
appliance.