IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING IRON AND STEEL AND OTHER METALS AND METALLIC ALLOYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James John Christie, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR ROLLING IRON AND STEEL AND OTHER METALS AND METALLIC ALLOYS."
Sealed the 21st December 1876, and dated the 30th June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James John Christie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th June 1876.
JAMES JOHN CHRISTIE, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING IRON AND STEEL AND
OTHER METALS AND METALLIC ALLOYS."
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the reversal of the motion of the rolls
in machinery used for rolling iron and steel and other metals and metallic alloys.
In rolling machinery as ordinarily constructed the required reversal of the motion
of the rolls is effected either by the mechanism commonly called "the five-wheel
motion," or by reversing the motion of the steam engine or other prime mover.
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of
mechanism herein-after described, whereby the reversal of the motion of the rolls is
effected very readily by an arrangement of parts occupying but little room.
My improvements are as follows:-To the ends of the neck pinions of the rolls
and in place of the ordinary coupling boxes I attach fixed clutches. On the bed
plate of the machinery and at a short distance from the standards in which the
neck pinions work I fix a pair of standards in which three pinions work. The axes
of two of these pinions are coincident with the axes of the neck pinions; the third
pinion is on one side, and gears with the other two pinions. Motion is commu-
nicated from one of the said two pinions to the other by means of the side pinion,
so that the said two pinions both rotate in the same direction. The axes of the
said two pinions carry sliding clutches, which are respectively opposite to and can
be made to gear with the fixed clutches on the neck pinions. These sliding clutches
are geared to a rocking frame, by the motion of which in one or other direction
either the upper sliding clutch can be geared with the fixed clutch on the axis of
the upper neck pinion, or the lower sliding clutch geared with the fixed clutch on
the axis of the lower neck pinion. As both the sliding clutches rotate in the same
Price 1

page_text: direction the gearing of one of them to the upper or lower neck pinion communicates
motion in the same direction to the said neck pinion, that is, communicates a motion
in the same direction to either the upper or lower neck pinion. As these neck
pinions engage with one another they rotate in opposite directions, and the com-
munication of motion in the same direction to the upper pinion produces motions
in the geared rolls in a direction contrary to that produced when the same motion
is communicated to the lower pinion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James John Christie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
December 1876.
JAMES JOHN CHRISTIE, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING IRON AND STEEL AND
OTHER METALS AND METALLIC ALLOYS."
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the reversal of the motion of the rolls
in machinery used for rolling iron and steel and other metals and metallic alloys.
In rolling machinery as ordinarily constructed the required reversal of the
motion of the rolls is effected either by the mechanism commonly called the "five-
wheel motion," or by reversing the motion of the steam engine or other prime
mover.
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of
mechanism herein-after described, whereby the reversal of the notion of the rolls is
effected very readily by an arrangement of parts occupying but little room.
My improvements are as follows:-To the ends of the neck pinions of the rolls
and in place of the ordinary coupling boxes I attach fixed clutches. On the bed
plate of the machinery and at a short distance from the standards in which the neck
pinions work I fix a pair of standards, in which three pinions work. The axes of
two of these pinions are coincident with the axes of the neck pinions; the third
pinion is on one side, and gears with the other two pinions. Motion is communi-
cated from one of the said two pinions to the other by means of the side pinion, 80
that the said two pinions both rotate in the same direction. The axes of the said
two pinions carry sliding clutches, which are respectively opposite to and can be
made to gear with the fixed clutches on the neck pinions. These sliding clutches
are geared to a rocking frame, by the motion of which in one or other direction
either the upper sliding clutch can be geared with the fixed clutch on the axis of
the upper neck pinion, or the lower sliding clutch geared with the fixed clutch on
the axis of the lower neck pinion. As both the sliding clutches rotate in the same
direction the gearing of them to the upper or lower neck pinion communicates
motion in the same direction to the said neck pinion, that is, communicates a
motion in the same direction to either the upper or lower neck pinion. As these
neck pinions engage with one another they rotate in opposite directions, and the
communication of motion in the same direction to the upper pinion produces motions
in the geared rolls in a direction contrary to that produced when the same motion
is communicated to the lower pinion.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in end elevation, and Figure 2 in side elevation, my new or
improved reversing gear applied to a pair of rolls.
Figure 3 represents the clutches of the reversing gear in different positions from
those represented in Figure 2.
The same letters indicate the same parts.
A, A, are the rolls to be reversed by the gear represented; the said rolls are
coupled to the usual pair of neck pinions B and B' in the usual way by coupling

page_text: spindles and coupling boxes. On the axes of the neck pinions B, B¹, are securely
fastened two clutches C, C¹; in a line with the two neck pinions B, B¹, respectively
are placed two other neck pinions D, D', working in the pair of standards J, JI;
working in the same standards J, J', is a third or side pinion M (see Figure 1). The
diameters of the two pinions D, D¹, are such that they do not gear with one another,
but the third or side pinion M gears with both the said pinions D, D¹, as seen in
Figure 1. On the axes of the pinions 1), D¹, nearest to the pinions B, B¹ are placed
sliding clutches E, E¹, having teeth corresponding with the teeth on the fast
clutches C, C. The two sliding clutches E, E¹, are furnished with grooves or collars
for receiving projecting pieces or studs on the rocking frame F, which frame rocks
or has motion on the axis or centre G. A rocking or reciprocating motion is
imparted to the frame F by a lever fixed on the end of the axis or centre G, and
worked by a steam cylinder H fastened to the pinion standard J. N, Figure 2,
represents the end of the shaft for driving the train of rolls which is driven by a
steam engine or other prime mover, and is coupled to the shaft of the lower pinion D¹
by a fast and loose clutch coupling spindle and coupling box in the usual manner.
The rotatory motion thus communicated to the lower pinion D¹ from the shaft N is
transmitted to the side pinion M, causing the said pinion M to rotate in an opposite
direction to the said pinion D'. This rotary motion of the pinion M is transmitted
to the upper pinion D, but in an opposite direction to the pinion M, and hence in
the same direction as the bottom pinion D'. The motion of the pinion D is trans-
mitted through the clutches E and C to the neck pinions B, B¹. When it is wished
to reverse the direction of the motion of the rolls the position of the rocking frame F
is reversed, that is to say, it is made to take the position represented in the detached
view, Figure 3, by the lowering of the piston in the steam cylinder H. By this
reversal of the rocking frame F the upper sliding clutch E is thrown out of gear
with the fixed upper clutch C, and the lower sliding clutch E' is thrown into gear
with the lower fixed clutch C¹, and a rotatory motion is thereby communicated
through the lower pinion D¹, fixed and sliding clutches E and C¹ to the lower neck
pinion B¹, and the direction of the motion of the rolls A, A, is reversed. To again
reverse the direction of the rolls the piston in the steam cylinder H is raised; the
rocking frame F is thereby thrown into the position represented in Figure 2, in
which position the bottom clutch E¹ is disconnected from the bottom clutch C¹, and
the top sliding clutch E is thrown into gear with the top fast clutch C, and as the
two pinions D, D', are rotating in the same direction the same rotatory motion is
communicated to the top pinion B and the top roll A as was given to the bottom
pinion B¹ and the bottom roll A when the clutches occupied the positions repre-
sented in Figure 3, and the direction of the motion of the rolls is thereby reversed.
By the foregoing description, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
it will be understood that by bringing the sliding clutches E, E¹, into the respective
positions represented in Figures 2 and 3, either the upper sliding clutch E can be
geared with the fixed clutch C on the axis of the upper neck pinion B, or the lower
sliding clutch E¹ geared with the fixed clutch C¹ on the axis of the lower neck
pinion B¹. As both the sliding clutches E, E¹, rotate in the same direction by virtue
of the intermediate or side pinion M the gearing of them with their respective
clutches C, C¹, communicates to the neck pinions B, B¹, motion in the same direction.
By the gearing together of the neck pinions B, B¹, they rotate in opposite directions,
and when motion is communicated through the upper neck pinion B the rolls rotate
in one direction, and when motion is communicated through the lower neck
Opinion B¹ the rolls rotate in the opposite direction.
I do not confine myself to a steam cylinder for imparting motion to the rocking
frame F, as any well known arrangement of levers, screws, or other mechanical
appliances actuated by hand or by steam or other power may be employed for
effecting the same object; neither do I confine myself to the particular form of
5 clutch represented.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the

page_text: "
precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied without
departing froin the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention of
Improvements in Machinery for Rolling Iron and Steel and other Metals and
Alloys," the construction and combination of parts herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for reversing the motion of the rolls of
the said machinery, that is to say, the construction and arrangement of the three
pinions D, D¹, and M situated on parallel shafts, and their combination with fixed
and sliding clutches, and a rocking frame for the purpose, and substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James John Christie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
ALFRED CLEMENTS,
Wigan,
Lancashire.
JAMES JOHN CHRISTIE. (L.S.)