Vessels of Various Forms and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
Vessels of Various Forms and in Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM CRAWFORD, and JAMES CRAWFORD, of 49 Arlington Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Tinsmiths, do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows, that is to say -
Our said Invention has for its object the making of vessels of various forms,
including some hitherto generally made by casting, and others hitherto generally
made by uniting two or more pieces together, in an improved manner by apparatus
with which each vessel is made out of a single piece of sheet iron or steel or copper.
In carrying out our Invention in the case, for example, of a can or vessel in the
form of a cylindrical shell with one end closed, we employ an hydraulic press with
a ram rising vertically out of the cylinder, and we place on the ram a block which
may be of castiron or other suitable metal and which has formed in it a central cylindrical
cavity of a size corresponding to that of the intended can. The upper part of the
cavity is encircled by two or more rings of steel placed in a recess formed for them
in the block; and this block has also formed in it one or more passages into which
combustible gas and air are led to be therein ignited for the purpose of heating the
uppermost or two uppermost rings and the sheet metal which is to be operated on.
The sheet or plate of metal to be operated on after being heated if necessary in a
separate furnace is laid upon the block and its outer parts are held down upon the
block by a ring made to bear on it by any suitable means but not so as to prevent it
from being drawn inwards as the shaping operation proceeds. As soon as the sheet
or plate is held in position the block is raised by the hydraulic ram up to a plunger
or die fixed to the top of the press, and the plunger causes the sheet metal to be
gradually forced into the cavity in the block. The middle part that the plunger first
acts on forms the bottom or end of the can and the outer parts of the plate are drawn
and pressed so as to form the cylindrical shell. When in the progress of the operation
the metal gets drawn almost within the holding-down ring a second smaller ring
may be pressed down on it in a similar way, and one or more still smaller rings may

page_text: be used in succession if required. Instead of the holding-down ring or rings being
of metal, which might abstract too much of the heat from the sheet or plate operated
on, pieces of wood may be used for one or more of them. The shaped can or vessel
may be removed from the block either downwards or upwards or in any convenient
way and it may be subsequently annealed if desired.
To shape vessels of any other forms for which the apparatus may, in practice, be
found suitable, the shape of the cavity in the block and that of the fixed upper
plunger or die must be modified to suit what is required in each case.
By the application of heat in the manner hereinbefore described we are enabled to
produce forms which have not heretofore been attained by stamping or combined
drawing and pressing processes.
The lower or cavity block may be stationary the plunger or upper die being moved
by means of one or more hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic ram or rams may be
moved slowly and continuously, or it or they may be moved intermittently; or
intermittent strokes may be imparted to the plunger or block by hammering
apparatus worked by steam, or compressed air, or water, or by rotating shafting.
The cavity block or outer dic for shaping the outer parts and the plunger or inner
die for shaping the inner parts, may be placed relatively as hereinbefore described
or they may be transposed or be placed in any suitable relative positions.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of October 1887.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants Agent.

page_text: Improv
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Vessels of Various Forms and in Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM CRAWFORD, and JAMES CRAWFORD, of 49 Arlington Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Tinsmiths, 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, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object the making of vessels of various forms,
including some hitherto generally made by casting, and others hitherto generally
made by uniting two or more pieces together, in an improved manner by apparatus
with which each vessel is made out of a single piece of sheet iron, or steel, or copper.
In carrying out our Invention we employ one or more hydraulic presses operating
by means of suitable shaping blocks or dies, combined with holding appliances, and
provided with means for heating or keeping heated the metal sheet that is acted on.
For making a can or vessel in the form of a cylindrical shell with one end closed a
cylindrical plunger die is employed in combination with a block having a cylindrical
cavity and in this cavity there is fitted one or more steel rings through which the
sheet metal is forced by the plunger die. In the block and roundabout its cavity
passages are formed through which combustible gas and air are led to be ignited for
the purpose of supplying heat.
To shape vessels of any other forms for which the apparatus may in practice be
found suitable, the shape of the cavity in the block and that of the plunger die must
be modified to suit what is required in each case.
By the application of heat according to our Invention we are enabled to produce
forms which have not heretofore been attained by stamping or combined drawing and
pressing processes.
The hydraulic ram or rams may be moved slowly and continuously or it or they
may be moved intermittently; or intermittent strokes may be imparted to the plunger
or block by hammering apparatus worked by steam, or compressed air, or water, or
by rotating shafting.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and representing apparatus as constructed for effecting our
improvements.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a sectional elevation; and figures, 2, 3, and 4, are
horizontal sections. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark
the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the modification of our apparatus which is shown in the drawings there are
two hydraulic cylinders, 5, 6, with their rams, 7, 8, the supply and exhaust pipes
and lie controlling valve gear for these cylinders not being shown but being of
any suitable known kind. The cylinders, 5, 6, are connected by strong rods or

page_text: pillars, 9, on which there are fixed two blocks, 10, 11. The upper fixed block, 10,
is a hollow casting with a central guide aperture down through which passes a
plunger die, 12, fixed on the ram, 7, of the upper cylinder, 5, and which is forced
downwards to shape the interior of the can or vessel that is to be made by the
machine. The lower fixed block, 11, is made with a central cavity, 13, and in a
groove formed round the sides of this cavity there is fitted a steel ring, 14, which
gives the finished form or size to the outside of the can or vessel as the article is
ultimately forced down through it. This lower fixed block, 11, is shown in section in
figure, 3.
Above the lower fixed block, 11, there is a movable block, 15, shown in plan in
the upper half of figure, 2, and in section in the lower half of that figure. This
block, 15, is in figure, 1, shown resting on the lower fixed block, 11, but after a
sheet of metal, 16, for forming a can or vessel has been placed in position the
block, 15, is raised by the ram, 8, of the lower hydraulic press, 6, that ram having
fixed to it a platen, 17, to which are fixed rods, 18, extending up through holes in
the lower fixed block, 11, and fixed to the movable block, 15. The movable block, 15,
in rising lifts the sheet, 16, up into contact with the under side of the upper fixed
block, 10, and causes a preliminary slight indentation of the middle of the sheet
through the action of the bottom of the plunger, 12, and of a small downwardly
projecting part of the block, 10, at the edge of its central opening. The movable
block, 15, is made with a central aperture having fitted to it a lining tube, 19, which
may be of steel and the inside of which is slightly larger than the interior of the steel
ring, 14. and which is rounded at its upper edge to facilitate the forcing of the metal
of the sheet, 16, down into it. The tube, 19, is deeper than the movable block, 15,
and projects above that block when resting on the fixed block, II, so as then to hear
the sheet, 16, at a height a little above the top of the movable block, 15; but
when the movable block. 15, rises its top becomes level with the top of the tube, 19,
and then it carries up the tube with it by the action of a stepped or contracted part in
its central aperture.
The pressure or grip with which the outer part of the sheet, 16, is held between the
movable block, 15, and the upper fixed block, 10, requires to be regulated with great
care, so that on the one hand the metal may not be drawn in too easily by the
descending action of the plunger, 12, so as to become uneven or puckered, and on the
other hand it may not be held so tightly as to cause rupture. The desired result may
be attained by suitably regulating the pressure acting in the lower hydraulic
cylinder, 6 or the movable block, 15, may be raised up into contact with dead stops
and there may be fitted to the bottom of the upper fixed block, 10, a loose plate
pressed downwards by carefully adjusted springs, up into contact with which plate the
sheet, 16, is borne by the movable block, 15.
For supplying heat there is fixed below the lower fixed block, 11, an annular box
made in two parts, 20, 21, bolted together with a diaphragm, 22, between. In each
part three annular channels are formed, and whilst combustible gas is supplied by
separate pipes (of which one, 23, is shown in figure, 1,) to the channels of the lower
part, 20, compressed air is supplied, also by separate pipes to the channels of the upper
part, 21. Figure, 4, is partly a section through the channels of the upper part, 21,
and partly a view of the top of that part. Tubes, 24, are fixed in the top of the upper
part, 21, of the annular box, and extend up through holes in the fixed block, 11, and
through holes in the movable block, 15, and through these tubes there extend smaller
tubes, 25, fixed in the diaphragm, 22. These parts are arranged so that the gas passes
up the smaller tubes, 25, whilst the air passes up through the larger tubes, 24, or the
annular passages between them and the smaller tubes. The gas is ignited as required
at the tops of the tubes, 24, 25, which may be shortened if found desirable, the
compressed air producing a series of blow-pipe flames. By means of stopcocks on
the gas and air supply pipes the gas and air are regulated as required, and any one or
any two or all three of the circular sets of flames may be employed as may be found
desirable in practice. A band, 26, of thin metal is fixed round the top of the movable
block, 15, with the view of confining the heat to some extent.

page_text: We believe that in practically working the apparatus-it will be found best to
operate with successive stages, the sheet being heated at its outer parts when in the
position in which it is shown in figure, 1, next carried up by the movable block, 15,
and gripped between it and the upper fixed block, 10, and then acted on to a certain
extent by the plunger die, 12. Afterwards the movable block, 15, should be lowered
and heat again applied, the block being then raised again and the plunger die moved
further down. The operations may be repeated as often as may be found necessary,-
the can or vessel being ultimately forced completely through the steel ring, 14, and
out through the bottom of the lower fixed block, 11. If it is found that the
blocks, 10, 11, and 15, become too highly heated water or other fluid may be made to
circulate through spaces formed in them for the purpose.
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-The shaping of sheet iron, or steel, or copper, into vessels of various forms by
the action of dies and shaping blocks combined with parts for holding the outer parts
of the sheets, and with direct heating appliances, in the improved manner substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2-Combining the parts of apparatus for shaping sheet iron, or steel, or copper into
vessels of various forms, in the improved manner substantially as hereinbefore
described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.