IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING RAILWAY AND OTHER SIMILAR WHEELS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Armstrong, of Brinsworth Iron and Steel Works,
Rotherham, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING RAILWAY AND OTHER SIMILAR WHEELS,
AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
Sealed the 28th November 1879, and dated the 12th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Armstrong at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th June 1879.
#
JOSEPH ARMSTRONG, of Brinsworth Iron and Steel Works, Rotherham, in the
County of York. *IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING RAILWAY
AND OTHER SIMILAR WHEELS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
For this purpose I first cast a blank in steel or other metal capable of being
afterwards rolled; this blank is cast to an approximate shape to that of the wheel
required to be produced. In some cases the tyre may be produced at the same time
as the body of the wheel, whilst in other cases I prefer to apply the tyre in the
usual way after the body of the wheel has been made according to my Invention.
The blank above mentioned I roll to the shape required for the wheel, and for
this purpose, according to one arrangement, I employ a pair of rolls of the shape of
the required wheel with a groove or recess for the boss or nave of the wheel in the
centre of the length of the rolls.
These rolls are divided into two parts, and according to one arrangeinent one of
such parts is fixed on the roll shaft and the other is mounted loosely thereon, to
enable the one part to rotate in an opposite direction to the other, as is required;
and I place a spring on the shaft of each roll between, and at the ends of each part
roll, thereby enabling the rolls to give way endwise if required, to prevent jamming
and injury to the parts. Or rolls acting only on half the diameter of the wheel
may be used, in which case I preferably form the roll and roll shaft in one.
Or I divide the roll shaft into two parts meeting at the centre of the length of
the rolls, and I form a pin on one and a socket in the other, to cause them to give
mutual support to each other, and in such case, or where rolls of small diameters
are required I give support to each roll by a pair of larger supporting rolls shaped
to fit a part or the entire of the operating or working rolls. The above arrangement

page_text: .
also enables me to make the roll and roll shaft in one, or to fix the roll rigidly on
its shaft.
One of the rolls I mount and operate so as to enable it to be removed from the
other roll when required, for the insertion of a blank or for the removal of the
finished wheel.
According to another arrangement I place the blank on a table, the top of which
is formed to the shape of the required wheel, and I mount this table so as to enable
it to revolve around an axis coincident with the centre of the boss of the wheel.
On the upper surface of the blank I cause a roll or part roll, as above described, to
operate, and I mount and operate the table or the roll so as to enable the one to be
removed from the other for the purposes above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
December 1879.
JOSEPH ARMSTRONG, of Brinsworth Iron and Steel Works, Rotherham, in the
County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING RAILWAY
AND OTHER SIMILAR WHEELS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
For this purpose I first cast a blank or disc in steel or other metal capable of
being afterwards rolled. This blank or disc is cast to an approximate shape to that
of the wheel required to be produced. In some cases the tyre may be produced at
the same time as the body of the wheel, whilst in other cases I prefer to apply the
tyre in the usual way after the body of the wheel has been made according to my
Invention.
The blank or disc above mentioned I roll to the shape required for the wheel, and
for this purpose, according to one arrangement, I employ a pair of rolls of the shape
of the required wheel with a groove or recess for the boss or nave of the wheel in
the centre of the length of the rolls.
These rolls are divided into two parts, and according to one arrangement one of
such parts is fixed on the roll shaft and the other is mounted loosely thereon, to
enable the one part to rotate in an opposite direction to the other, as is required;
and I place a spring on the shaft of each roll, between and at the ends of each part
roll, thereby enabling the rolls to give way endwise if required, to prevent jamming
and injury to the parts. Or rolls acting only on half the diameter of the wheel
may be used, in which case I preferably form the roll and roll shaft in one.
Ór I divide the roll shaft into two parts meeting at the centre of the length of
the rolls, and I form a pin on one and a socket in the other, to cause them to give
mutual support to each other, and in such case, or where rolls of small diameters are
required, I give support to each roll by a pair of larger supporting rolls shaped to
fit a part or the entire of the operating or working rolls. The above arrangement

page_text: also enables me to make the roll and roll shaft in one, or to fix the roll rigidly on
its shaft.
One of the rolls I mount and operate so as to enable it to be removed from the
other roll when required for the insertion of a blank or disc, or for the removal of
the finished wheel.
According to another arrangement I place the blank or disc on a table, the top of
which is formed to the shape of the required wheel, and I mount this table so as to
enable it to revolve around an axis coincident with the centre of the boss of the
wheel. On the upper surface of the blank or disc I cause a roll or part roll, as
above described, to operate, and I mount and operate the table or the roll so as to
enable the one to be removed from the other for the purposes above described.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 is an end clevation
of one arrangement of machinery or apparatus for carrying my Invention into
effect.
a, a, are iron standards or cheeks, which are firmly secured to a base or founda-
tion plate b in a similar manner to the framing of an ordinary rolling mill; c, d, are
a pair of rolls between which the blank or disc is placed to be rolled into the shape
required for the wheel.
These rolls are so shaped and adjusted as to leave between them a space of similar
shape to that of a section of the required wheel, grooves or recesses c', d², being
formed in the centre of the length of the rolls for the boss or nave of the wheel.
The rolls c, d, are also each divided into two parts, and according to the arrangement
shown in the Drawings one of such parts, that nearest the driving gear, is fixed on
the roll shaft, and the other is mounted loosely on the roll shaft c² or d², to enable
the one part to rotate in an opposite direction to the other as is required, and I place
a spring on the shaft of each roll at the outer end of each part roll, and sometimes
in the space between such part rolls, thereby enabling the rolls to give way andwise
if required, to prevent jamming and injuring the parts. The necessary adjustment
is regulated by means of set screws e, but the springs are not shown.
с
The upper roll c I mount in the standards a, with capability of being raised from
the other roll when required for the insertion of a blank or disc, or for the removal
of the finished wheel. For this purpose I mount on each end of the roll shaft c² a
ring, which is pin jointed to a lever f¹ fixed to a shaft or axis f. On this shaft
or axis fis fixed a lever which is provided with a weight or weights f³ to counter-
balance the weight of the roll c.
The housings of the roll c are acted upon by right and left handed screws g geared
together by toothed wheels g¹ to secure simultaneous action of such screws, thereby
enabling the distance between the rolls c and d to be regulated, and the required
pressure to be applied to the work by giving rotary motion to such screws by means
of bars applied to the cross heads g, or by other suitable means.
The rolls c, d, are driven from a shaft to which power is applied in any suitable
manner, such shaft h having fixed thereon a toothed wheel ' which gears with
toothed wheels c, d, fixed on the roll shafts c, d.
The blank or disc is held in correct position between the rolls c, d, by resting on
the flanges of rolls i, and the periphery of the blank or disc is acted upon by such
rolls i, which are preferably driven by the friction of the blank or disc thereon.
The rolls i are capable of adjustment by means of set screws ³.
In carrying my Invention into effect I first cast in steel or other metal capable
of being afterwards rolled a blank or disc to a shape approximate to that of the
wheel required to be produced. I then raise the roll e by turning the screws g,
when the weight f³ being free to act raises the roll c. I then introduce one of such

page_text: blanks or discs between the rolls c, d, with its periphery resting upon the flanges i¹
of the rolls i; the roll c is then screwed down and rotary motion is given to the
rolls c, d, the pressure of the roll c being regulated as required until the rolling of
the blank or disc has been completed. The roll c is then again raised and the
wheel removed from the rolls, when another blank or disc is introduced, and, the
operations repeated.
Instead of the above described arrangement of rolling machine the following
modifications may be employed:
Rolls acting only on half the diameter of the wheel may be used, in which case I
preferably form the roll and roll shaft solidly in one piece.
Or I divide the roll shaft into two parts, meeting at the centre of the length of
the rolls, and I form a pin on one and a socket in the other to cause them to give
mutual support to each other, and in such cases, or where rolls of small diameters
are required, I give support to each roll by a pair of larger supporting rolls shaped
to fit a part or the entire of the operating or working rolls.
Instead of the pin and socket arrangement I also propose to run the shafts in a
central bearing carried by a girder or cross bar, and attached to the aforesaid
housings, the said shafts being divided in the centre of the axis of bearing so as to
allow contrary circular motion, but yet at the same time firmly supporting the rolls
while at work.
The above arrangements also enable me to make the roll and shaft in one, or to
fix each half roll rigidly on its shaft.
When it is necessary to roll a blank or disc upon the sides or edges of its
perimeter, say for the formation of a flange for, or the preparation of a surface for
the reception of a separate tyre, I propose to do so by means of rolls turned to the
shape required, and actuated by direct power, or preferably by friction in the same
plane as the blank or disc.
According to another arrangement I place the blank or disc on a table, the top
of which is formed to the shape of the required wheel, and I mount this table so as
to enable it to revolve around an axis coincident with the centre of the boss of the
wheel. On the upper surface of the blank or disc I cause a roll or part roll, as
above described, to operate, and I mount and operate the table or the roll so as to
enable the one to be removed from the other for the purposes above described.
I have not thought it necessary to represent in the Drawings any of the above
described modifications, as such will be readily understood by a competent mechanic
from the description herein given.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,—
First. Manufacturing railway and other similar wheels by taking a blank or disc
that has been cast in steel or other metal capable of being afterwards rolled, and
rolling the same in manner substantially as herein shown and described; and
Second. The employment for the purpose stated of rolls constructed, arranged,
and operated in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Armstrong, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.