Improvements in Electric Blank Heating and Feeding Apparatus for Forging Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
VOMIT LEID DIEUTICATION.
Improvements in Electric Blank Heating and Feeding Apparatus
for Forging Machines.
I, GEORGE DEXTER BURTON, of 194, Washington Street, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor and Car-
builder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following tatement:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for use in connection with forging machines
in which electricity is employed as a heating agent for softening the blanks from
which the forgings are made.
The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective mechanism, which
will serve the double purpose of an electric heater for softening the blanks and a
feeder for feeding them to the forging dies or other metal working mechanism.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a longitudinal section of this
improved blank heating and feeding apparatus in connection with a drop-press
forging machine.
Figure 2 represents an end elevation thereof.
Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the carriage carrying the heating and
feeding electrodes.
Figure 4 represents an enlarged plan view of the blank heating and feeding
apparatus and that portion of the forging machine illustrated in Figure 1.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different
figures.
This improved blank heating and feeding apparatus is illustrated in connection
with a drop-press forging machine for producing drop-forgings, but it may be used
in connection with any other forging machine to which it is a useful adjunct.
The parts of the drop-forging machine herein illustrated are the bed 10, portions
of the upright standards 11 attached to said bed and provided with the vertical
guide-ways 13, the plunger 20 movable in said guide-ways, the fixed die 30 attache.l
to said bed and the upper die 31 attached to said plunger. It is not deemed necessary
to illustrate or describe herein the mechanism for actuating the plunger as any
ordinary mechanism known to those skilled in the art may be employed for this
purpose.
A bar cutter for cutting off from the bar being worked, the blanks to be forged,
is shown on the forging machine, and comprises a fixed cutter die 40 attached to
the bed 10, and a movable cutter die 41 attached to a cross-head 42, which moves
vertically in ways 43 of the standards 11. Any suitable mechanism may be employed
for reciprocating the cross-head and causing the cutters to act upon the bar at the
proper intervals of time.
This improved bar-heating and feeding apparatus operates upon the blank after it
is cut off from the bar, heating it to a forging temperature and feeding it to the
forging dies.
A bracket table 50 shown as attached to the bed 10 serves as a support for the
heating apparatus.
.
This bracket is provided with horizontal guide-ways 57 and on its opposite sides
with upright webs 51. Each of these webs is provided with a longitudinal slot 58
and with a flange 52 above the slot, the flange having teeth on its under side, and
constituting a horizontal rack. A transverse shaft 53 is supported in bearings at the
outer end of said bracket. This shaft is provided with a pulley 54 and a crank 55..
A belt 56 extends from a pulley connected with the actuating mechanism (not shown)
to the pulley 54 and imparts motion to the shaft.
A sliding carriage 60 is disposed on the ways of the support or bracket 50 and
Price 8d1

page_text: adapted to reciprocate thereon toward and from the cutter dies. A pitman 61 con-
nects the rear end of the carriage with the crank 55, whereby the carriage is
reciprocated. This carriage is provided with a central upright stud 62 and with
inwardly inclined bracket arms 63 at its rear end. A transverse rock shaft 64 is
supported in said bracket arms and projects throngh the slots 58 of the webs 51. A
cam 65 having peripheral cam grooves 66 is centrally fixed on said rock shaft. This
shaft is also provided at its outer ends with pinions 67 which mesh with the fixed
racks 52 of the support 50.
The positive and negative electrodes consist of two levers 70 and 71 which are
provided near their outer ends with lateral lugs 72 which overlap each other and are
pivoted on the upright stud 62 of the carriage. These levers are provided at their
outer ends with rounded projections or anti-friction rollers which engage the cam
grooves 66 of the cam 65, and at their inner ends with inwardly projecting edges 74
which support the blank between the cutter-dies and forging dies.
or wood.
b
The electrode levers 70 and 71 are insulated from each other, and electric cables 80
and 81 adapted for carrying currents of large volume are connected to said levers.
Each of these levers is preferably constructed in two parts, the longer part a to which
the cables are connected being composed of copper or other good conductor of elec-
tricity, and the shorter part & carrying the pivot lugs 72 may be composed of iron
The levers 70 and 71 are adjustable toward or from each other to adapt
them for blanks of different lengths. For this purpose the shorter arms may be
provided at their inner ends with transverse boxes 75 having dovetail grooves, said
boxes being composed of or lined with porcelain or other insulating material when
the short arms are composed of metal. The outer ends of the copper arms a are
provided with dove-tail tongues 76 which fit the grooves of the boxes, and set screws 77
may be employed for fastening said arms in the positions to which they may be
adjusted.
The
The operation is as follows. The bar 100 is fed to the bar-cutter at proper intervals,
preferably by means of a suitable intermittent mechanical bar-feeder, such as that
described in my application No. 16522 of 1890, or the equivalent thereof. The bar-
cutter then severs from the bar a blank of the proper length for the article to be
forged. When the blank is cut off the electrodes 70 and 71 are in the position shown
in Figure 1 and the blank falls upon the ledges 74 thereof and immediately
closes the electric circuit, whereby a current of large volume is passed through the
blank. Then the action of the crank 61 pushes the carriage 60 toward the forging
dies and the electrodes attached thereto carry the blank 200 to said dies.
pinions 67 on the shaft 64 meshing with the stationary racks 52 on the bracket 50,
cause the rotation of said shaft and its cam 65 during the movement of the carriage.
When the carriage has moved a sufficient distance toward the dies to locate the
blank 200 over the lower forging die 30, the cam 65 causes the short arms of the
Jever electrodes to move toward each other and the long arms thereof carrying said
blank to spread apart. The blank is thereby dropped onto the stationary forging
die 30 and the electrodes swing away from the face of said die. The thrust of the
carriage is slightly in excess of the distance between the cutters and the die to con-
tinue the operation of the cams for completing the dropping and swinging operation;
and the plane of motion of the electrodes is such that the ledges 74 ride over the
surface of the lower die 30 without contact therewith. The upper forging die 31 then
comes down and forges the blank into the desired shape.
While the blank is supported by the electrodes it is heated to a forging temperature,
owing to its resistance to the electric current being greater than that of the electrodes,
and when it is dropped the circuit is broken. A suitable circuit-breaker may be
disposed in the circuit within the reach of the operator so that he can shut off or
otherwise control the current, if necessary, before the blank is dropped from the
electrodes. The degree of heat may be varied by varying the volume of the electric
current. During the return movement of the carriage, the electrodes are brought
back, and under the action of the cam they are closed toward each other in position
to receive another blank from the cutter,

page_text: To adapt the electrodes to blanks of different lengths, the blank carrying arms thereof
may be adjusted laterally in the boxes 75 or otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an electric blank heater for heating blanks to be forged, the combination of
a sliding carriage, oscillating electrodes supported thereon, a support for said carriage,
means for reciprocating said carriage to shift said electrodes for feeding the blank
and means for oscillating said electrodes to release the blank, substantially as set
forth.
2. In an electric blank heater for heating blanks to he forged, the combination of
two pivoted levers and arms composed of conductive material laterally adjustable on
said levers, said arms being provided with blank supporting faces or ledges, substan-
tially as set forth.
3. In an electric blank heater for heating blanks to be forged, the combination of
a sliding carriage, a support therefor, a fixed rack adjacent to said carriage, a
cam-shaft on said carriage provided with a cam and with a pinion for engaging said
rack, electrode levers pivoted to said carriage and engaging said cam, said levers
being provided with blank supporting faces or lodges, and means for reciprocating
said carriage.
4. The combination of the support 50 provided with the slotted webs 5.1 having the
rack 52, the crank shaft journaled in said support, the carriage 60 adapted to
reciprocate on said support, the pitman 61 connecting said carriage with the crank of
said crank-shaft, a cam-shaft 64 supported on said carriage and extending through
the guide slots of said webs, a cam 65 on said shaft, pinions 67 engaging said
racks disposed on said cam-shaft and the lever electrodes 70 and 71 engaging said
cam and provided with blank supporting holders, substantially as set forth.
5. The apparatus substantially as herein described for passing an electric current
through metal to be heated.
Dated this 27th day of Sonteinhor 1840
Witnesses :-
CHESTER MARR,
Accountant, Gloncester, Mass.
E. F. PHILIPSON,
Stenographer, Boston, Mass.
GEORGE DEXTER BURTON.