Improved Machinery for use in the Manufacture of Axle Boxes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar. 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for use in the Manufacture of Axle Boxes.
We, THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY AXLE BOX COMPANY
LIMITED, of Leadenhall Buildings, in the City of London, and JOHN DONNELLY,
of 45 Brockley Road Brockley, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to power-operated machinery for use in the process of
making railway axle-boxes from sheet metal plates by successive stamping, pressing,
bending, and welding operations as described in the Specification of previous Letters
Patent dated November 15th 1889, No. 18303, whereby the plate is first embossed
and corrugated at the proper places to form the spring seat and the horn plate
grooves and is then bent at right angles to its original plane on longitudinal and
transverse lines for the purpose of bringing it to a box-like form previous to welding
the juxtaposed edges.
The machinery forming the subject of the present invention is designed for
expeditiously performing the operations above referred to of bending up the plate
at right angles to its original plane, the same arrangement of machine being
applicable for both bending operations, viz. that upon parallel longitudinal lines, by
which the side wings of the plate are turned up in readiness to form the front and
back of the box shell, and that by which the plate bent as above mentioned is bent
on transverse lines and so brought to the box-like form.
The machine, for whichever stage of the operation it may be designed, consists
essentially of a pair of bending or swaging rollers mounted on carriages sliding in
vertical guides in the uprights of the frame, operated by cranks or eccentrics from
a main shaft below, the said rollers being disposed opposite each other symmetrically
at either side of a former "block between which and a platen the plate to be bent
is clamped.
This former block is carried by a cross-head working in the same vertical
guides as the roller carriages and operated by a cam from the same shaft, the
former" block pressing up the middle part of the plate against the adjustable
platen carried by the press-head.
This formerblock is of a shape and size corresponding to the form to which
the plate is to be bent in the particular operation for which the machine is to be
used, and in the case of the second stage of the operation the "former" block
would have vertical ribs upon it and the rollers would be circularly grooved to
correspond to the sectional configuration of the finished horn-plate and dust-guard
grooves in the sides of the shell.
The timing of the gear is such that the rollers will be at their highest point
above the level of the clamp at the time when the "former" is at its lowest point to
and platen. This
admit of the plate being inserted between the "former"
being done, the "former rises and grips the plate firmly and holds it whilst
the rollers come down and effect the bending operation, whereupon the plate is
released.
Dated this 20th day of Mar 1891
THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY
AXLE BOX CO. (LIMITED),
J. DONNELLI,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for use in the Manufacture of Axle Boxes.
We, THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY AXLE BOX COMPANY
LIMITED, of Leadenhall Buildings, in the City of London, and JOHN DONNELLY
of 45, Brockley Road, Brockley, in the County of Surrey, 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
statement:—
This invention relates to machinery for use in the process of making railway
axle-boxes from sheet metal plates, whereby the plate (having been first embossed
and corrugated at the proper places) is bent at right angles to its original plane on
longitudinal and transverse lines for the purpose of bringing it to box-like form
previous to uniting the juxtaposed edges by welding. Two separate machines
would preferably be used for the two bending operations above mentioned, iz. that
upon longitudinal lines by which the side wings of the plate are turned up in
readiness to form the front and back of the box-shell and that by which the plate
bent as above mentioned is again bent on transverse lines and so brought to box-like
form, the machines differing only in the dimensions of the configuration of the
Swaging rollers.
It will therefore be sufficient to describe one such machine.
The machine will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure is a vertical, section, and Figure 3 a
horizontal section, of the machine for bending the plate transversely.
Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5 an edge view, of the embossed and corrugated
plate before being bent.
Figure 6 is an end view of the plate after the parts 3-3 and 4-4 have been
bent.
•
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively front and rear elevations, and
Figure 9 is a plan, of the box as folded by the machine.
21
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The machine consists essentially of a pair of bending or swaging rollers A. A
mounted on carriages B B sliding in vertical guides C in the uprights of the frame,
the foller carriages being operated by cranks or eccentrics D D from a main shaft E
below, the said rollers A A being disposed opposite each other symmetrically at
either side of a "former block F between which and an adjustable platen G
carried by the press-head, the plate to be bent is clamped. This "former" block F
is carried by a cross-head H working in the same vertical guides C as the roller
carriages and operated by a cam 1 from the same shaft E, the "former block
pressing up
the middle part of the plate to be bent and holding it against the
platen during the operation of the bending or swaging rollers A. The former"
block is of a shape and size corresponding to the form to which the plate is to be
bent in the Tarticular operation for which the machine is to be used, and in the case
of the machine for performing the second bending operation the rollers A would be
circularly grooved, as at a (Figure 3) to correspond to the sectional configuration
of the finished grooves and ribs made by previously embossing the plate as hereafter
described, these grooves and ribs being made in the sides of the box for the horn-
plate and dust-guard.
is at its
The timing of the gear is such that the rollers will be at their highest point, as
represented in dotted lines in Figure 1, at the time when the former
lowest point, to admit of the plate K (also represented in dotted lines) being inserted
between the "former" F and platen G. This being done, the "former rises and
grips the plate firmly and holds it against the platen whilst the rollers A come
down and effect the bending operation, the cam I being of the form shewn in
Figure 2 so as to afford the "former" block a prolonged period of rest.
After the

page_text: completion of the bending operation, the rollers A rise and the former block
descends whereupon the bent plate or roughly-formed box may be lifted off. The
plate is at a red heat for the bending operations and by passing it quickly from
the one to the other machine, it may be completely bent to box-form at one
heating.
The plate is prepared for the machine by being roughly stamped or cut out of
the form shewn in Figure 4 and embossed at the centre as shewn at k to form the
seat of the carrying spring and embossed or corrugated at to form external
grooves for the horn plates and at m to form internal grooves for the dust guard..
It is then bent on the parallel longitudinal lines 1-1, 2-2, Figure 4, by a machine
similar to that described except that the rollers are not grooved and are at a
distance apart corresponding to the greatest breadth of the box to be formed. The
portions 3-3, 4-4, 5, of the plate beyond those lines having been bent at right-
angles to the plane of the plate, as shewn in Figure 6, it is submitted to the action
of the machine above described and shewn in the drawings whereby it is bent on
the parallel transverse lines 6-6, 7-7, and is thus brought to box-like form, the
parts 3-3, 4-4, 5, lapping around the front and back of the "former" block so
that their edges meet. These meeting edges are subsequently welded together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
A machine for bending metal plates to box-like form for use as axle-boxes
consisting in the combination with a reciprocating former" block carried by a
sliding cross-head worked by a cam and with a platen for the block to press the
plate against, of a pair of bending or swaging rollers carried by sliding carriages
and worked by cranks or eccentrics, the rollers being symmetrically arranged with
regard to the former" block and being so timed as to descend and bend the plate
against the "former" block after the latter has risen and come to rest against the
platen, substantially as specified.
Dated this 15th day of March 1892.