IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING OR CURVING METAL RAILS, BARS, RODS, PLATES, AND TUBES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Laybourne, of Rhymnoy, in the
County of Monmouth, Oivil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING OR CURVING METAL
RAILS, BARS, RODS, PLATES, AND TUBES."
Sealed the 1st March 1872, and dated the 6th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said Richard Laybourne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th September 1871.
I, RICHARD LAYBOURNE, of Rhymney, in the County of Monmouth,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declaro the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING OR CURVING METAL RAILS,
BARS, RODS, PLATES, AND TUBES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the straightening or the curving of
metal rails, bars, rods, plates, and tubes.
"

page_text: rolls or pulleys, between which the rail, bar, rod, tube, or other piece of
metal to be straightened or curved is passed. These rolls or pulleys
press the rods, bars, or tubes alternately in opposite directions. The
several rolls are adjustable by screws or otherwise, and may be placed
alternately with their axes horizontal and vertical or at any desired!
angle. They are also capable of adjustment so as to take out the twist
or winding from the bar, and straighten in at the same operation. The
rails, bars, tubes, or other pieces are subjected to a continuous pressure,
which may be so regulated and adjusted that they are not injured but
acted upon by so much pressure as may be required to effect the desired
⚫object.
The rolls may be plain cylinders or truncated cones, and grooved to
suit the section of the bars or tubes to be operated upon, and may be
driven by toothed wheels, belts, bands, chains, friction wheels, or any
other usual mode of driving machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Laybourne in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 6th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
LAYBOURNE, of Rhymney, in the County of Monmouth, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Laybourne, Her special
licence that I, the said Richard Laybourne, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Laybourne,
my exccutors, 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 expressed, 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 APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING OR CURVING METAL RAILS,

page_text: BARS, RODS, PLATES, AND TURES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Laybourne, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
tho said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Laybourne, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object the straightening or the curving of
metal rails, bars, rods, strips, or narrow-plates and tubes.
For this purpose in place of using presses worked by cams, screws, or
other means causing intermittent pressure I construct a machine with
rolls or pulleys, between which the rail, bar, rod, tube, or other piece of
metal to be straightened or curved. is passed. These rolls or pulleys
press the rods, bars, or tubes alternately in opposite directions. The
several rolls are adjustable by screws or otherwise, and may be placed
alternately with their axes horizontal and vertical at any desired angle.
They are also capable of adjustment so as to take out the twist or
winding from the bar and straightening it at the same operation. The
rails, bars, tubes, or other pieces are subjected to a continuous pressure,
which may be so regulated and adjusted that they are not injured but
acted upon by as much pressure as may be required to effect the desired
object.
The rolls may be plain cylinders or truncated cones, and grooved to
▸ suit the section of the bars or tubes to be operated upon, and may be
driven by toothed wheels, belts, bands, chains, friction wheels, or any
other usual mode of driving machinery.
•
One example of arranging the rolls according to my Invention is
shown in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1. represents a
plan view of a framing a, a, between- the side walls b, b, of which the
rolls c, c, are arranged for straightening or curving any metal rail, bar, rod,

page_text: plate, or tube which it may be necessary to straighten. Each end of the
framing carries a guido roll d, d, for leading the metal into and between
the rolls c, c, according to the direction in which the metal is inserted,
the other one serving to support the free end of the rail as it passes out.
The roll faces may be plain or shaped to suit the form or contour of the 5
metal, the end pairs being arranged one directly over the other, while
the inner ones are arranged alternately so that cach of them acts
independently upon the upper and the lower sides of the metal to
straighten it, as scen in Figure 2.
In Figure 3 I have shown two railway rails between the rolls, one a 1
double T headed rail and the other a single-headed flanged rail; the
pressure which is put upon the web and the heads by screws e, e, being
adjusted to the greatest nicety by tightening up or loosening the screws
by a key or lever.
I prefer to arrange the rolls so that whatever the diameter or 1
thickness the metal may be they can be opened out or closed up to bite
or pinch the metal with the required force whether the metal be inserted
in a horizontal manner as in Figure 3, or vertically' as in Figure 4. All
the rolls are driven by gearing and preferably at the same speed, and if
necessary the gearing can be caused to act from one main driver, or 2
from separate drivers.
For taking the twist out of metal rails, bars, rods, plates, and tubes,
I arrange some of the inner rolls at different angles so as to give an
untwisting action upon the metal, the other rolls of the set serving to
maintain the metal in form so that it leaves the machine straightened 2
from end to end or along that portion only that is required to be
straightened.
For straightening railway rails, narrow strips or plates of metal,
whether of square or tapered form in cross section, my Invention will
be found of great service on account of the continuous pressing action 3
produced by it in lieu of the intermittent action by cams and screws
as now adopted, and by which a great loss of time occurs in loosening
the screws and shifting the metal on for another part to be acted upon.
I have only referred to straightening or untwisting lengths of metal,
but by dispensing with some of the rolls a curving or twisting can be 3
given to the metal in any required direction.

page_text: It will be seen by the elevation, Figure 2, how the rolls are set to act
upon the metal f for straightening it, and this may be caused to pass
to and fro or in one direction only, the main feature being that of
straightening or curving lengths or pieces of metal by rolls in a
continuous manner in contradistinction to that of the intermittent
pressure of cams or similar appliances now usually adopted.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Straightening or curving lengths of metal by the continuous pressure
of rolls arranged and acting substantially as described and shown.
Secondly. I claim the machine shown in the Drawings when acting
in the manner and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Laybourne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.
AV