Improvements in the Manufacture of Coke and similar Forks.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Coke and similar Forks.
We, WILLIAM ROBERTS, of Salisbury Villas, Meersbrook Bank, Heeley, Sheffield
Foreman, and GEORGE WILLIAM ELLIOTT, of 160 Shirebrook Road, Heeley, Sheffield,
Mining and Mechanical Engineer 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 statenient :-
Coke & similar forks have hitherto been made from a slab of steel or iron, split up
into strips, from which the prongs are drawn ont under a hammer.
A short plug is formed on the bar to which the socket, or straps for holding the
handle is welded.
The slab of steel is usually split up into strips by hand tools, or by having holes
punched into the slab, and afterwards slit up into the holes from the edge, by shears.
The pieces punched out are useless excepting for scrap, and the two operations of
punching and slitting require two separate heats, and are costly, and the former
method of splitting by hand tools is still more costly.
There is also a special danger of overheating the steel during the operation of
welding on the straps or socket to the plug or neck which renders the neck, bar, and
prongs in its vicinity, brittle and useless.
These defects are obviated by, making the fork of one solid piece of steel, without
a weld at the neck, and the slitting is done at one operation and heat, by stamping,
or pressing, with suitable dies, or tools.
Also to facilitate repairs the prongs may be made separately and attached in a
suitable manner to the rib or top-bar, so that any of them may be replaced when
necessary, and the cost of production is also greatly reduced.
To assist in making the manner of carrying out this invention clearly understood,
three sheets of drawings are annexed.
If the fork is made with a solid neck and socket for the handle, a slab of steel,
sheet 1. fig. 1. large enough to form the whole fork without a weld, has one end of it
spread out under a hammer, as in fig. 2. and turned over in a suitable manner to
form the socket figs. 3 4.
The remainder of the slab is then split up the centre the required distance, as
at A. figs. 4, 5. and opened out to form a bar at right angles to the portion for the
socket, as shown in fig. 6. and of sufficient substance and length to form the bar
and prongs. This bar is stamped or pressed by dies, or tools, into the required
number of spaces S, fig. 7. and plugs P. fig. 7. corresponding with the spaces and
prongs of the fork. Each plug P. is drawn out under a hammer into a prong, and.
the fork finished in the usual manner, without a weld.
A slab of steel, may also be formed firstly into a T shaped mould, one part to
form the socket, or straps, and the remainder for the bar and prongs. This may be
done without splitting the slab and opening it out as described above, but by taking
a slab sheet 2. fig. 12. and making two nicks n. n. on one edge fig. 12. wide enough
apart and sufficiently deep to leave a portion K, between them, large enough to form
the socket, or straps for the handle, or a plug to weld on the straps.
The remainder is drawn out into a bar to form the prongs and bar of the fork, by
being slit and drawn out as before described fig. 13.
To make the one mould, and operation of slitting answer for two forks, a slab of
steel may be slit in two places n. n. n. n. fig. 14. on two opposite sides, the portions K,
between the slits being for the socket, or straps, or the tangs, if straps are welded on,
and the remainder knocked down under a hammer to the required size for slitting.
fig. 15.
The slitting is then done, fig. 16. and by cutting the bars through the centre
at A. B. fig. 16, two complete moulds are formed for making two separate forks.

page_text: A nick n, fig. S. sheet 1. may also be made on each side of a slab, the portion A,
fig. 8, drawn out as in fig. 9., to form the socket, or straps, and the remainder split up
the centre at A, fig. 10, and opened out into a bar to form the prongs and bar, as first
described and shown in figs. 4, 5, 6, 7.
When the prongs are made separately and attached to the rib or top bar, the
top bar, and socket, or straps are formed of one solid piece as described before, and
the methods of attaching the prongs to the top-bar are as follows.
When the top bar t, Sheet 3. figs. 1. 2. 3. 45, 6, is made in one solid piece, it is
made with enlarged portions a, a, where each prong b, passes through and is secured
to it, to retain the requisite strength and greatest possible lightness.
The top-bar t, fig. 1. is then pierced with a hole, h, for the thick end of each prong
to pass through. The prongs are made with projecting collars, p, to fit against the
underside of the top bar, t, and the end projecting through, is rivetted, or clenched,
on the top side, r.
The forks are also made with their thick ends tapered to fit tapered holes, h, fig. 2,
in the top-bar. t, and secured by rivetting, or clenching on the top, r, fig. 2. or by
screwing the end and using a nut as at s, fig. 2.
Instead of rivetting or clenching, the forks may have their thick ends formed to
fit into tapered holes in the top-bar fig. 3. The small ends of the prongs are passed
through the holes from the top side, and secured into position by a bar, or cap, v, at
each side of the handle of the fork and passing along the top of the topbar and
covering the ends of all the prongs.
This bar or cap V, is secured by means of small bolts O, or rivets W, passing
through it and the top bar, or by set bolts Q, screwed into the top bar.
One or both ends of the cap may pass into a notch, n, formed on the top bar to
receive it.
The prongs may pass through parallel holes in the top bar fig. 4. and have flat
heads, or countersunk heads, Z, to prevent them passing through, and secured by
the cap, v, as before described.
The top bar of the fork may also be made with indentations i, figs. 11, 12, 13, 14,
on the front, or back, to receive the prongs, and a cap j, secured to it to cover and
secure the prongs. The prongs in this arrangement are made so that the cap may
secure them in every way, the cap and top bar also being of special sections for the
same purpose figs. 7, 8, 9, 10. These sections cause the prongs to be held at the edges
of the top bar and cap and, thus hold them firmly.
The top bar for these arrangements may be made with enlarged portions for the
prongs, screws, bolts, or rivets, or without these enlarged portions, and the straps, or
socket to secure the handle may be made to project from the top, or side, of the top
bar. If from the side it leaves the whole of the top bar unobstructed, for securing
the prongs by a cap, or top plate, in one piece, but if the handle projects from the top
of the bar, the cap must be in two parts one on each side of the handle, in the
arrangements shown in figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, but in figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, the
cap being on the front, or back, as preferred, the position of the handle does not
signify.
The top bar, and socket for the handle, may be made of cast or wrought metal.
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 ;
1st. The manner of preparing moulds for the manufacture of coke and other forks,
as herein described and illustrated.
2nd. The manner of making forks with loose prongs, as herein described and
illustrated.
ז'
1 1 11th at Nov 1980
WILLIAM ROBERTS.
G. W. ELLIOTT: