The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

SHAPING AND FORGING PRESSES. 59 it has forged 52,000 tons of armour-plates and 9,600 tons of gun forgings, and varions pieces. Hydraulic Armour-plate Shaping Presses.—Until the year 1886, the 100-ton steam hammer served to forge and bend armour-plates, even when these were of the most complicated shapes. Thus all the plates for the bows of ironclads forming the ram, were, during nine years, entirely manufacturée! under the steam hammer. Until recently, the steam hammer was chiefly used for the forging and shaping of armour-plates ; these, however, are now shaped under hydraulic presses. Shaping Presses.— Two presses are used for this work, namely one of 6,000 tons, and one of 1,200 tons for relatively thin plates, and a description of these, with auxiliary plant will be found of interest. These two The 1,200-ton armour-plate shaping press is of the same type as the 6,000 ton press. Both presses are provided with two cylinders acting on a crosshead suspended to two hydraulic hoists, and the moving tables are worked by hydraulic cylinders. Two furnaces heated by coal, and fitted with a movable hearth, serve forheating the heavy armour-plates, whilethe lighter plates are generally bent cokl. A set of pumps is attached to each press, and tliere are no accumulators, the water passing direct to the cylinders, so that the energy put into the pump is always in accord with the work to be done in bending the plates. The 6,000-ton press is provided with two 50-ton hydraulic jacks mounted on a travelling carriage, one of which is fitted with mechanism for turning over the Fig. 139. Conning Tower of Italian Battleship “ Lepanto.” Conning Tower for Torpedo-Boat Destroyer. Fig. 140. armour-plate shaping hydraulic presses are placed on the ’ plate when necessary. This press is illustrated by Figs. right and left of the great hammer. The principal dimensions of the 6,000-ton press are as follow : Diameter of cylinders Travel of piunger pistons ... Maximum water pressure ... Distance between columns... Diameter of columns Available height from movable table to moulding block Travel of table ... ........ .875 m. .. 1.200 m. .. 500 tilogs. 4 m. .400111. 1.470 m. 2 m. 2 ft. 10Æ in. 3 ft. llj in. 3.15 tons per sq. in. 13 ft. in. 1 ft. 4 in. 4 ft. 10 in. 6 ft. 6 j in. The dimensions of the 1,200-ton press are : Diameter of cylinders Travel of piunger pistons Maximum water pressure ... Distance between columns ... Size of square columns Available height from movable table to moulding block ... Travel of table .550 ni. 1 ft. 9$ in. 1.100 m. 3 ft. 7* in. 250 kilogs. ' 1.58 tons per sq. in. 4 m. 13 ft. H in. .250 m. sq. 0 ft. in. 1.430 m. 4 ft. ^1% in. 2 m. 6 ft. 6f in. 141 and 142. The movable hearths of the furnaces are brought under the presses to receive the plates that require to be reheated. A steam winch is used for removing and replacing the hearth by means of return pulleys placed along the tracks. Small Steam Hammers and Furnaces.—In the forging shop, and beyond the 100-ton hammer, are two other hammers, of 15 and 20 tons i’espectively, each with two furnaces fitted with bollers. These hammers are provided with two crânes of the same type as those of the 100-ton hammer. They are used specially for forging medium-sized pieces. Further on stands a 40-ton hammer, with four furnaces and boilers, and four 50-ton crânes. The arrangement of this hammer and plant is a repro- duction of that of the 100-ton hammer. It was installée! in Order to relieve the great hammer, which very frequently cannot do all the heavy work required, and cannot, of course, do economically such work as can be completed