Improvements in Apparatus for Straightening and Cutting Rails and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by EDWARD WILLIAM MCKENNA, of 402, Jefferson
Street, Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin,
United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Straightening and Cutting Rails
and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 a saw table, and is especially designed for use in con-
nection with a rolling mill plant where steel railway rails are manufactured or
renewed.
When the rail leaves the finishing rolls, it is more or less warped and twisted,
which condition is partly due to uneven cooling of the head, flange and web
portions, and partly to the action of the rolls Heretofore the rail has been sawn
in this condition, and allowed to cool on the hot-bed, after which it is cold-
straightened, bored and cold-sawn. It is sufficiently difficult to straighten a warped
rail after it has become cold, but if the rail afso is twisted, as frequently happens,
cold-straightening becomes well-nigh impossible, even with the special machinery
heretofore used for the purpose, and the rail must either be reduced to scrap or
reheated and rolled again.
It is the object of this invention to provide means for straightening the rail
and removing the twist therefrom while it is yet hot enough to yield easily, and,
further, to do this in the ordinary course of working, without much special
machinery and without loss of time In accordance with this invention, there-
fore, a set of clamps are provided which may be arranged at intervals along the
saw table in the line of travel of the rail, which clamps consist of mutually-
opposed members having flat unyielding faces for engaging corresponding flat
surfaces upon the rail Means are provided for simultaneously actuating these
clamps when the rail is placed upon the saw table, so that besides holding the rail
firmly while it is being sawn, the clamps further accomplish the function of
straightening and removing the twist from the rail while it is in a heated con-
dition. It may be desirable to provide two sets of clamps working at right angles
to one another: for instance, one set for engaging the top of the head and bottom
of the flange of the rail, and a second set for engaging the sides of the head, so
that the rail is effectually straightened in both planes. This straightening upon
the saw table cannot, of course, entirely obviate the necessity of cold straightening,
but it greatly lessens the labor of the latter process, and effectually removes the
twist from the rail.
It is evident that the ideas above set forth may be taken advantage of in
various ways and embodied in machines which may differ widely as to their par-
ticular construction. I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a machine
built in accordance with this invention, and will proceed to describe the same
particularly by referring to the drawings, in which
J

page_text: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the saw table;
Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, partially in section, and
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one end of the machine.
The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts, in which-
ever of the figures they are shown
The framework of the machine is constructed to form a table for receiving
a rail as it leaves the finishing rolls, and driven rollers a a are provided for
directly sustaining the weight of the rail and to carry it on to or off from the
table. At either end of the table and constituting continuations thereof are sup-
porting frames bb carrying the saws c c, the latter being mounted in what are
commonly known as saw-slides," arranged to travel to and fro in the frames b b.
This movement of the saw-slides may be effected by the steam-cataract d in a
manner well understood. Upon each of the supporting frames is mounted an
upright standard and guide e which also constitutes the stationary member of
a clamp whose movable member is a bar f, adapted to slide to and fro in the
fame Toggle-levers g g are associated with the clamping bars ff to effect the
movement thereof, said toggle-levers being connected by rods h h and operatively
associated with a steam-cataract which thus furnishes power to actuate the
clamps
Additional clamps, consisting of stationary members k and movable
members may be located at intervals along the saw-table, forming a row which
lies in the line of travel of the rail and at an angle with the plane of the saw,
these clamps also being connected with an arm or rod h and so operated simul-
taneously by the steam-cataract 2, to which reference has heretofore been made.
It will be seen that when a rail is brought on to the saw-table between the
clamping members, as indicated in Fig. 2, the steam-cataract may be actuated
to cause the row of clamps to engage the top of the head and bottom of the flange
of the rail, thus straightening the latter in a horizontal plane and holding it firmly
while being sawn. Since the opposing surfaces of the clamps have flat and rigid
engaging surfaces, the rail, besides being straightened, will have most of the twist
removed These rigid clamps will not bend the rail sharply, nor bite into it,
since it is not hot enough to be very soft, and the flat surfaces of the clamps will
merely bend those portions which are out of true, into the proper position.
It is often desirable that the rail be straightened in two planes at right angles
to one another, and for this purpose I provide, in addition to the row of clamps
already described, a set of clamps m m, working in a vertical plane as shown most
clearly in Figs 2 and 3 These vertical clamping bars m m are operated by toggle-
levers in the same way as the horizontal clamps, and are shown as operatively con-
nected, through intermediate lever mechanism, with the steam-cataract 2, whereby
both horizontal and vertical clamps may be operated simultaneously
The operation of the machine illustrated may briefly be described as follows;
A rail is brought on to the saw-table by means of the driven rollers a, a, and rests
upon the side of its head and an edge of the flange, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3
The attendant then actuates the steam-cataract 2, thereupon causing both the hori-
zontal and vertical clamps to be simultaneously operated in the manner herein-
before set forth, so that the rail, besides being held securely, is effectively
straightened and the twist removed therefrom. While the rail is thus held, the
attendant actuates the steam-cataract d, causing the saws to be moved forward,
removing the projecting ends of the rail in the usual manner The two sets of
clamps may now be disengaged from the rail by reversing the steam-cataract,
whereupon the driven rollers may be caused to remove the rail from the table,
making way for another to be straightened and sawn in the same manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1˚ In a rail mull, the combination with a table for receiving a heated rail from

page_text: the finishing rolls, of a series of clamps arranged along said table and having rigid
flat opposing surfaces for engaging corresponding flat surfaces of the rail, and
means for simultaneously actuating said clamps to straighten and remove twist
from the rail, substantially as set forth.
2. In a rail mill, the combination with a saw table for receiving a heated rail
from the finishing rolls, of a saw for sawing off the ends of the rail, clamps dis-
posed along said table in the line of the rail, said clamps having flat, unyielding
opposing surfaces for engaging corresponding flat surfaces upon the rail, means
for actuating said clamps whereby the rail is straightened and the twist removed
therefrom, and means for thereupon engaging the saw with the rail to saw off the
end thereof, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a saw table for receiving a heated rail from the
finishing rolls of a rail mill, of a pair of saws for removing the ends of such heated
rail, a series of clamps arranged at intervals along the table between the saws, flat
unyielding engaging surfaces upon the opposing members of said clamps for
engaging corresponding flat surfaces upon the rail, means for actuating said clamps
to cause the same to engage the rail, whereby the latter is straightened, and means
for engaging the saws with the heated rail to saw off the ends thereof, substan-
tially as described.
4 In a rail mill, the combination with a table adapted to receive a heated rail
from the finishing rolls, of a set of clamps adapted to engage with said rail as it
lies upon the table and straighten the same in a given plane, a second set of
clamps operating substantially at right angles to said first set, said second set ofclamps
being adapted to engage said rail and straighten the same in a plane substantially
at right angles to the plane of operation of said first set, whereby the rail may be
straightened and the twist removed therefrom, substantially as described.
5 In a saw table for a rail mill, the combination with saws adapted to saw off
the ends of a rail lying upon said table of a set of clamps adapted to engage with
said rail as it lies upon the table, and straighten the same in a vertical plane, a
second set of clamps adapted to engage said rail and straighten the same in a
horizontal plane, said two sets of clamps thus operating to straighten the rail and
clamp it while being sawn, and means for removing the rail from the saw table
after being sawn, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of Februry 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co,.
18, Southampton Buildings, London, WC.,
Agents for the Applicant.