Improvements in Machines for Moulding Wheels and other Curvilinear Objoots.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1892-Accepted, 9th July, 1892]
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Moulding Wheels and other
Curvilinear Objoots.
I WILLIAM FLETCHER Engineer and Iron Founder of Eagle Foundry Booth
Street Salford in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in or applicable to machines used for
moulding wheels and other curvilinear objects in which successive small portions
of the curved part as for example the rim of a wheel are moulded from a block
pattern or strickle.
In some types of such machines the said block or pattern is carried round the
mould on a radial arm supported on a column or pillar in the centre of the mould.
In other types of machines the mould itself is rotated while the block remains
stationary. In the said machines as heretofore constructed the centre of rotation
whether of the radial arm or of the rotating mould remains fixed. This construction
presents difficulties in the way of moulding some objects which it is convenient to
cast in sections as for example in the case of a spur wheel being required to be
cast in two halves for the purpose of being subsequently. bolted together. If the
whole of such a wheel were moulded at once in a moulding machine having a fixed
centre of rotation it would be found that when removed from the mould and planed
or otherwise adjusted to fit accurately together each of the two parts of the wheel
would be less than a semicircle and consequently the whole would not form a true
circle. It is therefore customary to mould each half separately in separate moulds.
One of the objects of my said invention is to provide means whereby such objects
may be readily moulded in a single mould in two or more sections with any desired
interval or spacing between them.
This I accomplish by providing means for displacing the centre of rotation of
the radial arm or of the rotating mould as the case may be.
In a machine in which a radial arm is carried by a central pillar I mount the
said radial arm on an axis which may be set at any required degree of eccentricity
to the centre of the pillar and which may be made to revolve about the centre of
the said pillar. While the axis of rotation of the radial arm is in one position any
desired portion of the arc of the curved part may be moulded. The axis of
rotation may then be shifted to another position another portion of the arc may-
then be moulded and so on.
When moulding circular parts of objects in this manner each section of the arc
will have the same radius as the others but an interval will be left between
the sections corresponding to the displacement of the axis of rotation of the
radial bar.
In applying my said invention to machines having rotating moulds the centre of
rotation.of the mould is so arranged as to be capable of displacement in a similar
manner to and for the same purpose as the radial bar.
Means such as slides or eccentrics are provided for readily adjusting the
eccentricity or displacement of the axis of rotation and provision is made for
causing the radial bar or the mould to rotate about the displaced centre of rotation
while the section of the object to be formed about that centre is being moulded.
Suitable means are also provided for raising and lowering the block or pattern as
the successive portions of the object are moulded.
My said invention is not limited to the moulding of circular objects 'but is
applicable to the moulding of other curvilinear objects which it is desirable to
mould from a block or nattern moving about one or more displaceable axes. For

page_text: example elliptical toothed wheels may be moulded from a block or pattern mounted
at the end of a bar which is provided with studs or guides taking into slots arranged
transversely to each other. The distance apart of the said stude or guides is
determined by the difference between the major and minor axes of the ellipse to be
moulded. To accomplish the same object the mould may be provided with similar
adjustable studs or guide pieces taking into transverse slots.
Dated this Eighth day of September 1891.
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Moulding Wheels and other
Ourvilinear Objects.
I WILLIAM FLETCHER Engineer and Iron Founder of Eagle Foundry, Booth
Street, Salford in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My said invention relates to improvements in or applicable to machines used for
moulding wheels and other curvilinear objects in which successive small portions
of the curved part as for example the rim of a wheel are moulded from a block
pattern or strickle.
In some types of such machines the said block or pattern is carried round the
mould on a radial arm supported on a column or pillar in the centre of the mould.
In other types of machines the mould itself is rotated while the block remains
stationary. In the said machines as heretofore constructed the centre of rotation
whether of the radial arm or of the rotating moull remains permanently fixed.
This construction presents difficulties in the way of moulding some objects which
it is convenient to cast in sections as for example in the case of a spur wheel being
required to be cast in two halves for the purpose of being subsequently bolted
together. If the whole of such a wheel were moulded at once in a moulding
machine having a fixed centre of rotation it would be found that when removed
from the mould and planed or otherwise adjusted to fit accurately together each of
the two parts of the wheel would be less than a semicircle and consequently the
whole would not form a true circle. It is therefore customary to mould each half
separately in separate moulds. One of the objects of my said invention is to
provide means whereby such objects may be readily moulded in a single mould in
two or more sections with any desired interval or spacing between them so that the
whole may be cast at a single operation.
This I accomplish by providing means for displacing the centre of rotation of
the radial arm or of the rotating mould as the case may be.
In a machine in which a radial arm is carried by a central pillar as in the type
of machines commonly known as Scott's machines I mount the said radial arm-on-an
axis which may be set at any required degree of excentricity to the centre of the
pillar and which may be made to revolve about the centre of the said pillar.
While the axis of rotation of the radial arm is in one position any desired portion
of the arc of the curved part may be moulded. The axis of rotation may then be
shifted to another position, another portion of the arc may then be moulded and
80 on.
Figs. I, II III & IV of the accompanying drawings illustrate this method of
carrying out my said invention.
Where the displacement of the centre of rotation of the radial arm is constant
the arrangement illustrated in Fig. I may be employed..
a is the central pillar fitting into a socket or standard in the moulding flour.
Instead however of carrying the central pillar upwards as indicated by dotted lines

page_text: at a' in the usual manner it is cranked in such a manner that the part of the
pillar a (about which the radial arm. carrying the moulding segment revolves) is
set excentrically to the pillar a. The degree of excentricity corresponds to the
separation required between the centres of the sections of the article being cast.
For example in moulding a wheel in two parts d d' as shown in plan in Fig. II.
The centre of the upper part of the pillar a³ would occupy the position indicated
at and after the part of the wheel d had been moulded the pillar a would be
turned through an angle of 180°. The centre of the part a' would then occupy
the position indicated by o' in Fig. II and the other part d' of the wheel is then
moulded by the revolution of the radial arm about its new centre of rotation c³.
The construction of the radial arm and the method of operating the same as well as
of supporting the central pillar a form no part of my said invention and may be
carried out in the usual manner.
Where the degree of separation is required to be variable the part a' about which
the radial arm rotates is mounted in a slide as shown in Figs. III & IV. By sliding
the part a² to or from the central pillar a the degree of excentricity may be varied
at will. If the part a' is only moved through an arc of 90° the object may be
moulded in four separate quadrants or by turning it through a less arc any
desired greater number of separated sections each having the same radius of
curvature may be moulded.
Another method of carrying out my said invention in such machines is to provide
a support for the central pillar having two or more sockets or bearings set
excentrically to their common centre. In this case when one section has been
moulded the pillar is lifted bodily out of one socket and transferred to another. In
what are known as table moulding machines that is machines in which the arm
carrying the moulding section is stationary while the mould itself revolves I apply
my said invention in the manner shown in Fig. V in which y is the moulding
section supported and operated in the usual manner.
his the fixed table of the machine supporting the moulding box i which in
machines as heretofore constructed rotates about a permanently fixed centre.
I interpose between the table of the machine h and the moulding box i a rotating
discj pivoted centrally in the table hand carrying a secondary disck whose centre
of rotation is a. pivot taking excentrically into the disc j. The degree of
excentricity may be varied by mounting the pivot on a slide (as hereinbefore
described with reference to pillar moulding machines) or more conveniently by
providing a number of holes or sockets for the pivot at different distances from
the centre of the disc j. The moulding box is secured in the usual manner to
the disc which then becomes the immediate support or table for the moulding
operations.
The method of using the machine is analogous to that hereinbefore described.
When any desired segment of the article to be moulded has been moulded by
rotating the disc k and with it the moulding box i about the excentric pivot of the
disc the lower discj is turned through the desired arc to effect the separation of
the segments, and another segment is moulded. Thus any desired number of
separated segments having equal radii of curvature may be moulded. The discs
may be rotated by hand or by worms and worm wheels in the usual manner as will
be well understood. The discs may also be graduated to facilitate the accurate
partial rotation of the excentric disc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a moulding machine the method of moulding wheels or other circular objects
in sections having equal radii of curvature by causing the segmental pattern or the
mould itself to rotate about two or more temporarily fixed centres of rotation
arranged excentrically to the common centre substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.

page_text: 2. In a pillar wheel moulding machine the use of an excentric pivot of rotation for
the radial arm which carries the moulding segment substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
3. In a table moulding machine the use, combination and arrangement of discs
or secondary tables set excentrically to each other for rotating the moulding box.
through any desired are about two or more temporarily fixed excentric centres of
rotation substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this 7th day of June 1892.
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.