IMPROVEMENTS COVERING ROLLERS, SHAFTS, AND TUBES OF ANY FIGURE OR MATERIAL WITH ELASTIC SHELLS OR COVERS OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER OR OTHER ELASTIC SUBSTANCE, AND IN TURNING OR GRINDING THE SURFACES OF SUCH ELASTIC COVERS OR SHELLS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock and John Macmillan
IN
Dunlop, both of Manchester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
COVERING ROLLERS, SHAFTS, AND TUBES OF ANY FIGURE OR MATERIAL WITH
ELASTIC SHELLS OR COVERS OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER OR OTHER ELASTIC
SUBSTANCE, AND IN TURNING OR GRINDING THE SURFACES OF SUCH ELASTIC
COVERS OR SHELLS."
Sealed the 6th May 1859, and dated the 13th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alonzo Buonaparte Wood-
cock and John Macmillan Dunlop at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th November 1858.
We, ALONZO BUONAPARTE WOODCOCK and JOHN MACMILLAN DUNLOP, both
of Manchester, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COVERING ROLLERS, SHAFTS AND TUBES, OF ANY FIGURE OR MATERIAL
WITH ELASTIC SHILLS OR COVERS OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER OR OTHER ELASTIC
SUBSTANCE. AND IN TURNING OR GRINDING THE SURFACES OF SUCH ELASTIC COVERS
OR SHELLS," to be as follows:-
This. Invention has for its object improvements in covering rollers, shafts,
and tubes of any figure or material, with elastic shells or covers of vulcanized
india-rubber, or other elastic substance, and in turning or grinding the surface
of such elastic covers or shells. For this purpose the elastic shell or cover
of vulcanized india-rubber or other elastic substance, is distended by forcing
[Price 8d.]

page_text: water or other fluid into it; and while so expanded the roller, shaft, or tube
is introduced into the shell or cover, or the shell or cover is drawn on to the
roller, shaft, or tube by means of screws or other mechanical appliance; the
water or other fluid being allowed to exude as the roller shaft or tube enters,
by means of a valve or tap. Afterwards, in order to finish the surface of the
elastic shell or cover, so as to reduce it truly to the desired form, and render
it more or less smooth as may be required, the covered roller, shaft, or tube
is (if circular in section) put into a lathe having a file or files, or other cutters
or tools which come in contact with the elastic surface, and while the roller,
shaft, or tube revolves, the files or tools are caused to traverse by means of a
screw, or if the roller, shaft, or tube is square or flat-sided, the files, or cutters,
or tools are traversed over the surfaces, while the roller, shaft, or tube is fixed,
the files or cutters being carried by a slide moved backwards and forwards
by a crank or other suitable machinery, or the tools may be stationary, and
the elastic shells moveable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock and John Macmillan Dunlop in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME wc, 'ALONZO
BUONAPARTE WOODCOCK and JOHN MACMILLAN DUNLOP, both of Manchester,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock and John Macmillan Dunlop, Her special
licence that we, the said Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock and John Macmillan
Dunlop, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock and John Macmillan Dunlop, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING ROLLERS, SHAFTS, AND
TUBES OF ANY FIGURE OR MATERIAL WITH ELASTIC SHELLS OR COVERS OF VULCA
NIZED INDIA-RUBBER OR OTHER ELASTIC SUBSTANCE, AND IN TURNING. OR GRINDING

page_text: THE SURFACES OF SUCH ELASTIC COVERS OR SHELLS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock and John Macmillan
Dunlop, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
c
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Macmillan Dunlop, on behalf of
myself and of the said Alonzo Buonaparte Woodcock, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in covering rollers, shafts,
and tubes of any figure or material with elastic shells or covers of vulcanized
india-rubber, or other elastic substance, and in turning or grinding the surfaces
of such elastic covers or shells. For this purpose the elastic shell or cover
of vulcanized india-rubber or other elastic substance, is distended by forcing
water or other fluid into it, and while so expanded the roller, shaft, or tube
is introduced into the shell or cover, or the shell or cover is drawn on to the
roller, shaft, or tube by means of screws or other mechanical appliances; the
water or other fluid being allowed to exude as the roller, shaft, or tube enters,
by means of a valve or tap. Afterwards in order to finish the surface of the
elastic shell, or cover so as to reduce it truly to the desired form, and render
it more or less smooth as may be required, the covered roller, shaft, or tube
is (if circular in section) put into a lathe having a file or files, or other cutters
or tools which come in contact with the elastic surface; while the roller,
shaft, or tube revolves the files or tools are caused to traverse by means of a
screw; or if the.roller, shaft, or tube is square or flat-sided, the files or cutters,
or tools, are traversed over the surfaces, while the roller, shaft, or tube is fixed,
the files or cutters being carried by a slide moved backwards and forwards
by a crank or other suitable machinery, or the tools may be stationary, and
the elastic shells moveable.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
.Figure represents a roller covered with elastic india-rubber; Figure 2,
an external view of the cover before it is placed on the body of the roller;
Figure 3, a longitudinal section of the same; Figure 4, a longitudinal eleva-
tion of the mould and maundril, in and on which the cover, composed, of.indin-

page_text: rubber and sulphur is vulcanized; Figure 5, a longitudinal section; and Figure 6
a transverse elevation of such mould and maundril; Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, and 15 are detached parts of an apparatus for expanding the ends
of the elastic india-rubber covers; Figures 16 and 17 are vertical sections,
and Figure 18 a plan of the expanding apparatus complete; Figures 19 and 20
are longitudinal elevations of an apparatus or machine for expanding the elastic
cover, and for forcing the roller into it; Figure 21 represents another arrange-
ment for expanding the elastic india-rubber cover, which after being expanded
is put upon the roller.
The covers of india-rubber compound are vulcanized in the moulds, such
as are shewn in Figures 4, 5, and 6, each mould consisting of two or more
parts a, the joints of which are fitted to each other, then bolted together, and
afterwards truly bored to the required external diameter of the india-rubber
cover; the internal diameter or bore of the cover being formed by the maundril
or core b, held concentric within the bored mould by the bored and turned
rings or collars c, which are fitted on the maundril, and placed within the
mould to the length the india-rubber cover may be required. We, however,
make no claim to the mould or maundril b, nor to the process of vulcanizing
india-rubber compounds therein. In order to place the body of the roller
within the cover we provide two rings, Figures 7 and 8, each having an ex-
ternal screw or grooves, the internal bore of which passes freely over the
exterior of the roller on to which the cover is to be applied; these rings are
placed in the ends of the elastic india-rubber cover by the apparatus shown in
Figures 16, 17, and 18. Upon any suitable plate or chuck d, detached at
Figure 13, we place clamps or stretchers e, shown detached at Figures 11 and
12, and furnished with screws and nuts, so that they may be made to advance
to the centre of the chuck and recede from it; we also provide a holder f,
shown detached at Figures 9 and 10, into which is placed one of the rings
the holder f is placed on the top of a screw h, which works in a nut i in the
centre of the chuck; the screw is turned by the handle or wheel k. The chuck
is supported by legs or frames of any desired length, and fixed in any con-
venient manner. The operation of expanding the ends of an elastic india-
rubber cover, and of placing within it a screwed ring g, is as follows:-The
screw h, the holder, and the ring g, are placed in their lowest positions, as
seen in Figure 16; the stretchers e are then moved towards the centre of the
chuck by means of the screws o, until their tops m can enter the elastic cover
n, which is then placed over them, and rests upon the shoulders at n² of the
stretchers; the latter are then moved outwards by means of the handles o
fixed on the ends of the expanding screws, so as to expand the end of the

page_text: elastic india-rubber cover until it appears as in Figure 17, and is sufficiently
large for the ring g to enter. The holder and ring are then raised by the
screw h, until the ring passes partially into the interior of the elastic cover.
By still further turning the screw h, and raising the holder, the top of the
holder forces the end of the vulcanized india-rubber cover off the tops of the
stretchers, and allows the elastic cover to collapse tightly upon the ring g, a
portion of which extends or protrudes beyond the end of the elastic cover, so
that it may be screwed into any chuck or nut for future operations. A ring g
having thus been placed in each end of the elastic india-rubber cover, the
elastic cover is removed, with the two rings in it, to the machine or apparatus
shown in Figures 19 and 20; the projecting end of one of the rings gis
screwed into a plate or frame p, and the projecting end of the other ring gis
screwed into the box or cylinder q. The india-rubber cover is to be fastened
to or lapped on the rings by wires, cords, or clamps. At any required dis-
tance from the plate p (according to the length of the roller) a framer is fixed,
having a nut s; the two frames p and rare held apart either by framework
or by the rods t, which are supported as shewn. The nut s is fitted with a
male screw of the required length, the said screw being furnished with a
handle w, or wheel at one end; the end of the male screw rests in a support 2,
which slides upon the rods t. The box or cylinder q is fitted with a pipe 11,
and also a tap z.
The roller to be covered is placed as seen in Figure 19,
with one end resting against the point of the screw u, the body of the roller
at the other end resting within the ring g; water is then forced by means of
a force pump, or otherwise, through the pipe y into the interior of the elastic
india-rubber cover until the cover expands, as seen in Figure 20, sufficiently
large to admit the body of the roller into it freely. The supply of water is
then cut off, the screw is turned gradually, the roller is advanced into the
elastic india-rubber cover, the tap z being opened to allow the water to escape
as the roller enters the cover. In Figure 21 another arrangement is shown
for expanding the elastic india-rubber cover, for the purpose of admitting the
roller; the said cover is supplied with the screwed rings at each end, as in
the former case, and then placed in an air-tight box or case a¹, maintained
air-tight by a packing and nut b¹, screwed at each end to the projecting ends
of the rings. When the elastic cover has been introduced into the box, as
shewn in Figure 21, we exhaust the air from the case; the pressure of the
atmosphere causes the cover to expand and become sufficiently large for the
roller to enter. After the roller is put within the india-rubber cover, air is
admitted through the tap 'c', and the cover collapses and tightly encircles the
roller; the two screwed rings g are then withdrawn either by hand or by screw

page_text: cramps. From the above description it will be evident that instead of expand-
ing the elastic india-rubber covers by forcing water into the interior thereof,
we can employ atmospheric air or other fluid for accomplishing the same object,
but we prefer to use water for the purpose.
The covered rollers are brought to their required size and smoothness by
placing them between or in the centres of an ordinary slide lathe, and fixing
one or more files on the slide rest which is traversed backwards and forwards,
holding the files in contact with the surface of the rubber, the roller revolving
at the same time. By using more or less rough or smooth files any degree of
smoothness may be obtained, and the surface of the elastic india-rubber covers
may also be ground with a traversing grindstone, or by means of rollers
covered with emery or other cutting material. In the manner above described
shafts, tubes, and other forms of articles, as well as rollers, may be covered
with elastic shells or covers, and the surfaces thereof finished by turning or
grinding, as above explained; and we would state that we in some cases form
the elastic covers on and attached to woven or knitted tubular fabric of cotton
or other suitable fibre to give strength, and to prevent them being extended
too far.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine our-
selves to the details herein described, neither do we claim the separate
mechanical parts, nor the coating of rollers, shafts, tubes, or other articles
with vulcanized covers generally; but what we claim are the combined
mechanism and means herein described of applying elastic covers to rollers,
shafts, tubes, and other forms, and the finishing the surfaces thereof, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Micmallan Dunlop, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN M. DUNLOP. (L.S.)