US1371288A - Process for rolling rail-anchors - Google Patents

Description

B. WOLHAUPT'ER.

PROCESS FOR ROLLING RAIL ANCHORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1Q, 1918.

1,371,288. I Patented Mar. 15,1921.

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B. WOLHAUPTER.

PROCESS FOR ROLLING RAiL ANCHORS.

ARPLICATION FILED 001,14. 1918.

1 ,37 1 288, Patented Mar, 15, 1921.

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B. WOLHAUPTER.

PROCESS FOR ROLLING RAIL ANCHORS.

APPLICATION FILED 001 14. I9l8.

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B- Vl olhazglfterg' I B. WOLHAUPTER. PROCESS FOR ROLLING RAIL ANCHORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-14,1918.

1,371,288. P ted Mar. 15, 1921.

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B. WULHAUPltR.

PROCESS FOR ROLLING -RA|L ANCHORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, 19M.

1,371 ,288. Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

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wi/imm UNITED STATES BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR ROLLING RAIL-ANCHORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed October 14, 1918. Serial No. 257,981.

T (17d whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN VVoLHnUr- 'rna, citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Rolling Rail-Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for manufacturing rail anchors whereby devices of this character may be expeditiously and economically manufactured in a rolling mill.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to produce rail anchors by forging and casting operations and also by cutting and bending the same out of bar steel. Practical difiiculties have been experienced in successfully carrying out such processes of making a rail anchor and therefore the present invention has in view a simple and inexpensive method of producing the rail anchors by suitably shaping the metal blanks in the passes of a rolling mill. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a process whereby anchors may be produced in an ordinary rolling mill in relatively long strips or bars. and subsequently sheared, and bent to produce the finished anchor.

By the rolling method proposed by the present invention many advantages in the production of rail anchors are obtained. A distinct advantage of employing the rolling method is that the metal can be distributed over different parts of the anchor in proportion to the strains that come upon it in different locations in its application to the rail. On the contrary underthe usual methods ordinarily employed in making rail anchors, that portion or section of the anchor where the greatest amount or section of metal is required to meet the greatest strains is usually of the same area or section as the entire anchor, and this same area or section prevails even at those point where the strains are very light and but a small amount of metal is required. In other words anchors pro duced by former methods do not make proper provision for effectively and economically distributing the metal in proportion to the strains with the result of having useless metal in locations where it is not needed and also resulting frequently in the production of a weak anchor.

Accordingly, an important object of. the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a rail-anchor of substantial form by a simple rolling process, the said process eii'ectmg an economical use of the material, in such a form however, that the functional characteristics of the anchor are not impaired in the slightest degree, but as a matter of fact, rendered more pronounced and eflicient. Furthermore, the present process makes possible the production of an anchor whose use is not confined to one section of rail, but on the contrary may be used on many sections both large and small.

While various instrumentalities may be utilized in carrying the present process into effect, and various minor departures may be made in the handling of the bar from which the anchors are ultimately made during the course of its development without departing from the invention, one of the ways in which the process may be effectively carried out in a practical and eflicient manner is suggested in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 5 inclusive are more or less diagrammatic views illustrating the various cross-sectional shapes evolved during the rolling operation, said shapes starting with the bar or billet shown in Fig. l and ending with the shape shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of an anchor blank having thereon dotted lines indicating the points at which the.

rolled blank may be sheared to produce individual anchor sections of various sizes.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an individual anchor section after it has been sheared from the rolled bar blank, and before being subjected to the shaping instrumentalities of the bending machine.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a finished anchor, the dotted lines inthis figure representing the original shape of the anchor or the shape of the anchor section shown in Fig. 7.-

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view showing an anchor producedby the present process applied to a rail flange.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the successive steps involved in the present process.

Fig. 11 is a view of a shearing machine which is adapted to cut the rolled anchor blank into individual anchor sections.

Fig. 12 is a view of the portion of a machine adapted to bend the individual anchor section into its final form, said view showing the bending instrumentalities open with an anchor section therebetween ready to be bent.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 showing the bending instrumentalities in closed relation to give the anchor section its final form and set.

Fig. 14 is a view of a modified type of bending machine with its bending jaws open.

Fig. 15 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 14 closed.

Fig. 16 is a side view of a tempering apparatus whichis employed in the final step of the process.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a modified form of anchor blank as it comes from the final set of rolls, and having thereon shear lines indicating the width of the various anchor sections.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the final form of anchor made from the blank shown in Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a still further modified form of anchor blank.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view of an anchor formed from the blank shown in Fig. 19.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Generally, the present invention contemplates a rolling process for rail anchors or anti-creepers which primarily involves the subjecting of a billet or bar blank to a series of properly shaped roll passes to produce a simple anchor blank whose cross-sectional shape is of the approximate form of the anchor, and wherein the metal is distributed in relatively small amounts where the strains are light, and in larger amounts by integral thickenings where the heavy strains will be focused. After having produced a blank having these novel and advantageous characteristics it is proposed to cut or divide the same into suitable widths to form individual anchor sections which may be subsequently formed or bent into the ultimate shape desired, and then subjected to a tempering bath to give the desired set and hardness to the metal.

Accordingly, in carrying the present invent-ion into eflfect it is first contemplated to use a suitable bar or billet A, Fig. 1 of the drawings, and subject the same to the action of rolls having a pass which will produce the primary bowed approximate shape B shown in Fig. 2. After this initial shapingand' distribution of the metal takes place as shown in Fig. 2, the blank B is subjected to successive rolling operations which produce the sections C, D, and E, the latter being substantially the final shape of the bar blank as it leaves the final roll pass of the mill.

A comprehensive understanding of the process and the individual steps thereof may be obtained from the diagrammatic illustration of Fig. 10 of the drawings wherein is shown in a diagrammatic fashion the several instrumentalities which may be utilized in performing the necessary operations to complete the rail anchor. These instrumentalities are illustrated in the order of their activities commencing with a general illustration of the final-pass rolls R of the rolling mill. Referring to this diagrammatic illustration of Fig. 10 of the drawings and to the general form of the bar as it leaves the final roll pass, such form being illustrated in Fig.

6 of the drawings, it will be observed that the blank includes a relatively fiat and tapered body with one edge portion rolled over into a substantially hooked formation to thus provide one of the rail flange engaging elements of the anchor. It will be observed that the length of these blanks, desig: nated generally as F, may vary in accordance with manufacturing conditions and rolling mill practice, and the cross-sectional shape of the blank may also vary according to the type and design of anchor being rolled. l owever, in every case, after the blank F has been formed by the rolls R it is proposed. as a next step of the process, to subject the same to the action of a suitable shearing machine designated generally as S. To this end the blank F may be carried from the rolls R to the shearing machine by any suitable conveying means, and when it reaches the shearing machine station, it passes between the shear blades 1 and 2 of the shearing machine S until the end of the blank strikes a suitable adjustable gage 3 which may be set at any desired distance with reference to the fixed blade of the shear to pro duce an anchor section of the desired width, as indicated by the dotted lines a2- 1 -2, in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The individual anchor sections G thus formed. by the shearing operation are then conveyed by any suitable means to a bending and forming machine M which give the anchor sections G their final form and set as indicated at H in Fig. 9.

Accordingly, it will be apparent that after the shearing step which involves the severing or cutting up of the relatively long anchor blank into individual anchor sections, the said sections designated as G, are placed between the movable die elements of a suitahle'bending press M as illustrated in Fig. 12 of the drawings. From this latter figure it will be observed that the individual anchor section G is placed upon the anvil element 4 of the bending press with its head or flange engaging portion 9' resting upon the bending edge 5 of the anvil while its tail portion is disposed at one side of the die recess 6 at the base of the anvil, whereby when the movable head 7 of the die descends the portion 8 thereof will bend down the tip of the head 9' of the anchor section as shown in Fig. 13, while the portion 9 of said head will force a suitable cam 10 to rock inward and thus force the tail 9 of the anchor against the forming surface of the recess 6 to thus form and set the tail piece of the finished anchorshape H. In connection with this final shaping of the anchor section, it may be noted that the forming face 7 of the head 7 of the bending press is so de signed as to embrace the hooked portion of the anchor G, and en age the same at the points 8 and T simultaneously to thus prevent side slipping or unregulated movement of the anchor piece Gr while under the influence of the downward movement of the movable head 7 Subsequent to the final shaping of the anchor section into the form designated as lil, it may then be tempered. To effect this tempering it may be carried away from the bending machine M (see Fig. 10) and de posited upon a suitable conveyer belt 11 to be given the desired set and hardness by submerging the same in a suitable tempering bath held within a container 12 as shown in Figs. 10 and 16 of the drawings. After passing through the tempering bath the anchors may then be transferred .on to a delivery incline or chute 13 so that their collection in a car or other receptacle 14; may be facilitated.

While the series of instrumentalities herein described constitute a practical way of forming and handling the rail anchors in the manufacture thereof it will be understood that any suitable and practical construction of machines may be utilized for this purpose without in any way departing from the process forming the subject-matter of this application. And, by way of exemplifying the different forms of machines that may be employed in carrying out the process reference is made to Figs. 14 and 15 wherein is illustrated another type and construction of bending press used in shaping the rail flange engaging elements of the anchors.

Referring briefly to this machine shown in Figs. 14. and 15 of the drawings it will be observed that the same involves in its organization a stationary bed 15 formed with a suitable socket or cavity 16 for receiving the lower end of a specially shaped anvil 17 which is normally maintained in an elevated position by a relatively stout coil spring 18 confined between the lower face of the anvil and the floor of the socket 16. The upper or head portion of this anvil 1'7 is of special formation, and as shown, is provided with an upper inclined face 19 which is joiner by a more abruptly inclined face 20 to cause the desired formation of anchor as will presently appear, and at one side thereof is provided with a tongue extension 21 which overhangs the fixed anvil face 22 of the stationary bed 15 as clearly shown in Fig. 14 of the drawings. Above the sta tionary bed 15 is a movable plunger head 23 having a suitably formed lower die face 24, a portion 25 of which projects considerably lower than the rest to properly cooperate with the inclined face 20 of the yieldably mounted anvil 17. The engagement of the die element 25 with the tail g of the anchor unit is timed to act synchronously with the tongue extension 21 and the movement of the hook g of the anchor unit over the anvil face 22 so that there will be no tendency of the anchor unit to slip during the bending or bull-dozing operation.

After an anchor section has been cut from the anchor blank it is proposed to place the same on the upper surface of the anvil l? as shown in Fig. 14;, whereby the hook portion g of the anchor section is confined between the lower face of the anvil extension 21 and the fixed anvil face 22 of the stationary bed, while the tail por ion of the anchor projects over into the path of the projecting portion 25 of the movable plunger head. Upon the descent of the latter the final form of the anchor is produced because of the fact that the portion 25 of the plunger head bonds the piece down into Contact with the anvil surface 20 during the final movement of the head and at the same time causes the extremity of the hook portion 9 of the anchor section 9 to assume a more or less horizontal position as shown in Fig. 15. Obviously, when the head 23 is elevated after the forming operation, the anchor will be also lifted because of the action of the spring 18 on the anvil, whereby the finished anchor may be readily removed and transferred to the tempering bath.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the present invention essentially involves the preliminary step of subjecting heated bar or billet to a series of suitably shaped roll passes which will successively change the cross-sectional area of the blank to properly distribute the metal thereof at points where it may be most effectively employed, thus having the great advantage of producing a strong and substantial anchor with a minimum amount of metal. This first step of the process has in view the production of an anchor blank which may be readily subjected to a shearing operation to form the individual anchor sections, and as a third step, the process contemplates the bending of the anchor section thus formed into its final shape and subsequently if necessary subjecting the finally formed anchor to a s itable tempering bath to give the desired set and hardness to the metal and thus insure the efficient performance of the functions of the anchor when in service in track.

While a practical type of anchor has been illustrated in Figs. 1 to 16 of the drawings, it will be obvious that the process involved in the present invention is susceptible of producing anchors of various shapes and types and by way of illustrating other forms of anchor which may be produced reference may be made to Figs. 17 to 9.0 of the drawings. Fig. 17 shows an anchor blank F as it comes from the final roll pass, and which after being sheared along the dotted lines m for instance, may be bent to produce a single flange engaging clip type of anchor H shown in Fig. 16. Also, Fig. 17 shows an anchor blank F of a further modified. cross-sectional shape as it would emerge from its final roll pass. This blank, as in the case of the others, may be subjected to a shearing operation to produce the individual anchor sections which after being bent on a suitable bending machine as proposed by the bending step of the present processes, will produce a finished anchor of a double flange engaging type designated at H shown in Fig. 20 of the drawings.

Therefore, it will be obvious that the present process having chiefly in view the rolling of the anchors in such a form that the metal is properly distributed with reference to the strains and stresses may be readily and easily followed to produce any desired or specified type of anchor.

I claim 1. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in first subjecting a bar blank to a roll pass which disposes the metal into a primary bowed shape, then subjecting the bowed shape to a rolling operation which places a preponderant body of metal toward anedge of the bar, then shearing the bar into rail anchor units, and subsequently folding the thickened end portion of each unit.

2. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in subjecting a bar blank to roll passes which displace metal from one part of the blank toward an edge and simul taneously giving such edge portion an angular shape and subsequently subjecting said angular edge portion to a bending operation forming a clip.

3. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in first subjecting abar blank to a roll pass which disposes the metal into a primary bowed approximate shape, then subjecting said shape to successive rolling operations placing a preponderance of metal toward one edge portion and simultaneously deflecting the same at an arcuate angle to the main body of the blank to facilitate easy shearing", then shearing said SQCQiOIl into individual rail anchor units, and subsequently closing the angular part forming a clip.

4. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in first subjecting a bar blank to a roll pass which disposes the metal into a bowed shape having an unsymmetrical distribution of metaland whose cross section represents a distribution of metal graduated to the strains to be imposed upon the finished device, and subsequently subjecting the end portions of the rolled section to bending operations.

5. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in subjecting a bar blank to roll passes producing, a shape wherein the metal is unsymmetrically distributed in relatively small amounts where the strains are light and large amounts where the heavier strains will be focused, and subsequently subjecting this shape to shearing and bending operations forming rail engaging and holding elements.

6. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in first subjecting a bar billet to a rolling operation to unevenly distribute the metal therein, placing a greater proportion of metal toward an edge portion, then shearing said rolled bar into anchor units, and then bending terminal portions of said anchor units forming rail-engaging and holding elements.

7. A process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in subjecting a heated billet to roll passes to successively change the cross sectional area of the blank forming a shape having rail engaging elements and a preponderant body of metal at the location where the heavier strains are focused, and finally subjecting the final shape to a tentpering bath.

S. The method of making rail anchors comprising forming a bar with integral deepenings at predetermined locations thereon, then bending said bar forming a jaw with the deepened portion located at the curved end.

9. The method of making rail anchors comprising forming a bar with integral deepenings at predetermined locations thereon, then bending said bar to form a pair of clamping jaws, with the deepened portions located at the curved ends thereof.

10. The method of making a rail anchor comprising the production of a metal bar, with integral thickenings at predetermined locations thereon, then bending the ends of said bar to form rail flange engaging elements, with the integral thickenings at one or more of the locations subjected to the greatest bending stresses.

11. The method'of making a rail anchor comprising the production of a metal bar, with integral thickenings at predetermined locations thereon, then bending the ends of said bar to'form a pair of clamping jaws with the integral thickenings at one or more of the locations subjected to the greatest bending stresses.

12. The method of making a rail anchor comprising the production of a metal bar with an integral thickening at a predetermined location thereon, then bending the end of said bar to form a jaw with the integral thickening at the location subjected to the greatest bending stress.

13. The method of making a rail anchor comprising the production of a metal bar, with integral thickenings at predetermined locations thereon, then bending the end of said bar to form a clamping jaw with the integral thickenings at one or more of the locations subjected to the greatest bending stresses.

14. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consist in subjecting a bar blank to roll passes which displace the metal toward an edge to form an angular bend adjacent said edge, and subsequently subjecting said edge portion to a bending operation form ing a clip.

15. The process of fabricating rail anchors which consists in subjecting a bar blank to roll passes which displace the metal toward an edge to form an angular band adj acent said edge, subsequently subjecting said edge portion to a bending operation forming a clip, and finally subjecting the final shape to a tempering bath.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN WOLI-IAUPTER.

Witnesses EUGENE T. HARTIGAN, JOHN K. MoAvoY.

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