US49266A - Alonzo hitchcock - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES ALONZO HITCHCOCK,

PATENT OFFICE.

0E NEW xoax, Y.

FORGING C ANNONS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,266, dated August 8, 1865; autedated 'July 30, 1865.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ALONZO HITCHCOCK, of New York, in the county and State of New York, havein vented certain new and useful Improvements in Forging Cannon and other Heavy Articles and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and-exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In fagoting up large masses of Wrought-iron or steel for heavy cannon and other large forgings the material is often burned and always deteriorated in parts by theheating and Work- Y ing of other parts, and for this reason it has with as little exposure to heating as possible,

to form a perfect cylinder.

The object of my invention is to make a can non or other similar and analogous forging by combining and welding rings or hoopsin such a manner that the fibers of the metal will be continuous and concentric with the axis, and the weldin g ofthe rings together consolidates the entire mass without exposing it to the action of the heat except at the points where the welding is to be effected, and at the time only when it :is necessary to heat those parts in preparation `for their' junction. 'lo effect this object the bottom of the forge or Welding-furnace consists of an anvilblock supported bythe ram of a hydrostatic press which carries the forging, and is gradually lowered as the rings of which it is composed are successively added and welded tothe mass. Over the movable top of the furnace is placed a steam hammer of sufficient play or length ofstroke to reach down into the forge when required. Adjacent to the welding-furnace is another furnace, in which the detached rings are separately brought to a welding-heat.

out removing the latter fromits furnace. Having thus increased the size oftheforging by the addition of one of the rings, the hammer is lifted and the top of the welding-furnace re placed, and the rain of the hydrostatic press is lowered sutlciently to present again only the upper surface of the forging to the action of the blast of the welding-furnace, as before described, while another ring is also being heated in readiness to be Welded to the forging in a similar `manner, and in this Way the rings i are successively added to the forging, and the latter lowered from the fire untilit has attained sufcientlength for the purpose desired. By this system of construction the cannon is composed of circular fibers disposed in the manner in which the continuousrings have been formed, and these rings are successively welded and consolidated together and removed from the action of the fire as the cannon is gradually brought to its entire length without exposing any part to the blast except when necessary to weld it to the adjacent part entering into i the composition of the mass.

To enable others skilled in the arts to which it appertains to make and use my invention, l will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawing.

The pile a or mass which is being built for the purpose of forming a cannon rests on the anvil-blocks, b, which are supported by the platen c and the ram dof a hydrostatic cylinder, e. The upper end of the pile projects through the bottom of the reverberatory furnace j', of which the grate is shown at g. Over the pile and the furnace is the steam-hammer, h, which has sufficient length of stroke to reach through the opening z' in the top of thefurnace and down to the top of the pile.` The separate rings intended to be welded successively' 'theimpinging currents upon the pile and rings.

Suitable means may also be used to turn the forging when required for the purpose of regulating the application ofthe heat. When the top of the pile in one furnace and the upper ring in the other may have been brought to a Welding-heat the blast and dampers are shut oi, the coverings to the openings in the tops of the furnaces are removed, the ring transposed to the top of the pile, and as many blows as may be necessary are struck with the steamhammer to consolidate it with the mass. The hammer is then withdrawn, the openings ofthe furnaces closed, the pile lowered bythe hydrostatic press until only its upper surface is eX- posed to the weldingheat,and the rings screwed up until the upper one is similarly exposed, and the action of the furnace is then again re.- sumed until the top of the pile and another ring are again heated in readiness for welding.

The arrangement and construction of the various yparts may be varied without departing from the character of my invention, but I prefer the system which Ihave described and represented in the drawing. The furnaces may have separate combustion-chambers, and the rings may be heated singly on the oor ofthe furnace and removed through an opening in the side.

In practicing my invention it is advisable to throw a shovelful of franklinite ore in the grate occasionally, so that the vapor of the zinc which enters into its composition may combine with the sulphur and other'volatile impurities of the coal and prevent their impairing the iron. The openings through the bottom ofthe furnaces for the passage of the pile and the rings should be kept luted with clay, especially when only the natural draft of the chimney is used. Both the rings and the top ofthe pile should be protected with borate of soda or other similar iiux. One ot' the sides of the rings should be slightly dished or convex, so that when its convex side is placed on the flat end of the pilethe scoria and oxide are squeezed tothe exterior with the ux by the action of the hammer, and the welding of the fagot or pileis commenced at its interior and continued toward the periphery. The hammer should be so heavy or the rings so thin that the entire mass of metal in the ring will be moved by the force ofthe blow, so that ingots ot' cast-steel molded in the shape of rings may be Welded and laminated bythe same operation and without intermediate manipulation.

The platen or head of the press is provided with suitable guides, and the anvil-blocks are left loose so that they may be removed on blocking up the pile for the purpose of making a forging equal in length to the distance be tween the press and the bottom ot' the furnace.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Making a cannon or other large forging by welding it in the furnace by the apparatus aud in the method substantially as described.

ALONZO HITCHCOCK.

Witnesses:

DUNHAM J. CRANE, WM. KEMBLE HALL.

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