IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESSES OF HEATING, ROLLING, STRAIGHTENING, PUNCHING, AND
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Jones, of Consett Ironworks, in the
County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED
IN THE PROCESSES OF HEATING, ROLLING, STRAIGHTENING, PUNCHING, AND
Sealed the 26th February 1869, and dated the 8th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th September 1868.
I, JAMES JONES, of Consett Ironworks, in the County of Durham,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED:
IN THE PROCESSES OF HEATING, ROLLING, STRAIGHTENING, PUNCHING, AND.
FINISHING RAILWAY AND OTHER BARS OR FORMS OF IRON AND STEEL," to be as.
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the system of arranging a
series of furnaces in combination with apparatus for introducing, with-

page_text: drawing, and conveying the piles or masses of iron from one furnace and
set of rolls to another, and in the means or apparatus for conveying the
rail, bar, plate, or other form when rolled to the rotary saws for cutting
off the scrap ends to the required length.
The Invention also relates to the arrangement and construction of
apparatus for removing the burr or ragged edges from the ends of
railway and other forms of bars, and in apparatus to facilitate the
straightening and also the punching of holes in the finished rail or
other form of bar.
For this purpose in carrying out my improvements I arrange a
scries of furnaces in a line with one another furnished with openings
and doors on each side, one for the introduction and the other for
the withdrawal of the pile, mass, or bar of iron or steel to be heated
and operated upon. The cold pile is first conveyed on a bogie or
truck, actuated by a winch or otherwise, to a blooming furnace which is
the first of the series of furnaces employed in carrying out my improve-
ments, and when sufficiently heated the bloom is withdrawn on the
opposite side of the furnace, and conveyed by means of a bogie and
winch, or by other mechanical means, to a pair or series of pairs of
blooming rolls placed opposite to or in a line with the furnace. After
passing once or several times through suitable grooves formed in these
rolls the slab or mass of iron or steel is introduced direct into the
next of the series of furnaces (placed in line with the rolls between),
where it is allowed to remain until it is sufficiently reheated for the
next operation; it is then withdrawn on the opposite side of the furnace,
from which it is conveyed by suitable apparatus, as before, to a second
pair or series of pairs of blooming rolls formed with a suitable number
of grooves, through which it is passed once or several times. From
these rolls the partially formed rail or bar is introduced, as before, direct
into a third or wash-heating furnace also placed in a continuous line
with the other furnaces and rolls previously described through which it
has passed. When sufficiently reheated it is conveyed by a bogie actuated
by a winch, or otherwise, to the finishing train of rolls, where it is rolled
to the proper section of the finished rail or bar required.
Although I have described a series of three furnaces with rolls placed
between them arranged in a continuous line, I do not confine myself
thereto as other numbers of furnaces and rolls.so arranged may be found
advantageous for some purposes in carrying out my improvements, which
J

page_text: are also applicable for rolling armour and other plates of iron or steel.
The rolls placed between the heating furnaces as above described may
also be caused to revolve first in one direction and then in the opposite
direction so as to roll the bloom backwards and forwards.
The rail or bar as it leaves the finishing rolls is drawn or conveyed in
accordance with my improvements whilst hot by suitable apparatus actuated
by a steam engine or other motive power to a pair of rotating saws to have
the scrap ends cut off to proper length of rail or bar, as is well understood.
From the saws the rail or bar is transferred to a turntable by which it is
placed in a position to be drawn or conveyed by means of a steam engine
or other motive power to the apparatus for filcing off or removing the
burr or ragged edges from the ends, and from thence to the boxes or
presses for straightening and punching the holes in accordance with my
Invention.
In carrying out my improvements for finishing the ends of railway
and other forms of bars after the scrap ends have been cut off (to proper
length of bar), the ends of the bar are brought by suitable apparatus
whilst hot opposite to metal caps or sockets, the inner surfaces of which
correspond in form to the section of the bar. The entrance to each cap
or socket is of larger capacity than the section of the bar to be operated
upon, tapering inwards so as to fit on to the ends of the bar or nearly so,
the inner surfaces of the caps or sockets by preference being serrated or
roughened so as to act as files when forced by suitable mechanisin on to
the ends of the rail or other form of bar in order to remove the burr..
Each cap or socket is carried by a rod or slide attached to a piston which
can be moved to and fro in a cylinder by means of steam, hydraulic, or
other motive power in order to force the caps or sockets on to the ends of
the rail or bar, whereby the burr or ragged edges produced by the rotary
saws are removed. Any other suitable means may be employed to force
the caps or sockets on to the ends of the bars for the purpose above
described.
It is well known that railway bars, angle iron, and other forms of
metal bars in cooling after rolling warp and require to be straightened
when cold, and are liable to be broken or injured by this operation.
Now according to this part of my improvements in order to obtain
perfectly straight bars I place and clamp them whilst hot (after being
rolled and the ends cut off and finished as previously described) in

page_text: channels or grooves formed in cast-iron boxes or plates, the
groove
in
the two parts of the box or plate by preference corresponding in form
with that of the railway or other bar they are intended to receive, by
this means the bar thus enclosed and held firmly in grooves between the
two cast-iron surfaces will set perfectly straight when cold. One, two,
or more sets of grooves may be arranged to receive bars in the same box,
plate, or press if desired.
According to another part of my improvements the grooved boxes
or plates are formed with holes or openings in order that the holes
for the fish plates or other purposes may be punched whilst the bar is
hot and securely hold within the box or between the plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
JONES, of Consett Ironworks, in the County of Durham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto mo, the said James Jones, Her special licence
that I, the said James Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Jones, my executors, 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 THE ARRANGEMENT
AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESSES OF
HEATING, ROLLING, STRAIGHTENING, PUNCHING, AND FINISHING RAILWAY AND
OTHER BARS OR FORMS OF IRON AND STEEL," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Jones; 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

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Jones, 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 relates, firstly, to improvements in the construction,
relative positions, and general combination of the furnaces, rolls, and
apparatus in a rolling mill for iron and steel.
According to this part of my Invention I crcct a series of furnaces in
advance of each other. I construct cach of such furnaces with openings
on either side provided with proper doors so that the pile or slab of iron
to be heated can be introduced at one side of the furnace and then
withdrawn from such furnace at the other side in a line or thercabouts
with the opening of the furnace into which the slab or piece of iron is
to be next introduced. Between cach and beyond the last of the
furnaces I arrange the rolls in such a position that the slab or piece of
iron is carried directly from the furnaces to the rolls, and then from the
rolls to the furnaces, and so on.
According to this part of my Invention the cold pile is first conveyed
on a "bogie" or truck, actuated by a winch or otherwise, to a "blooming"
furnace, into which the bloom is introduced through an opening on one
side. When sufficiently heated the bloom is withdrawn through an
opening on the opposite side of the furnace and conveyed by means of
a "bogie" and winch, or other mechanical means, to a pair or series of
pairs of blooming rolls placed opposite to or in a line with the opening
of the furnace or thereabouts. After passing once or several times
through suitable grooves formed in these rolls the slab or mass of iron or
steel is introduced dircct into the next of the scries of furnaces placed
and arranged as above described. The slab or mass is allowed to remain
in the last-named furnace until it is sufficiently reheated for the next
operation, when it is withdrawn on the opposite side of the furnace.
The heated slab or mass of iron or steel is then conveyed by suitable
apparatus, as before, to a second pair or series of pairs of blooming rolls
formed with a suitable number of grooves, through which it is passed
once or several times. From the last-named rolls the partially formed

page_text: "
rail or bar is introduced, as before, direct into a third or "wash-heating'
furnace also placed and arranged in relation to the other furnaces and
rolls as previously described. When sufficiently reheated the partially
formed rail or bar is conveyed by a bogie actuated by a winch, or
otherwise, to the finishing train of rolls, where it is rolled to the proper
section of the finished rail or bar required.
When a pile, slab, or mass of iron or steel is about to be introduced
into the furnace arranged according to my Invention the pile or mass
of iron is brought to the entrance of the furnace upon a truck or
"bogie," a "paddle or spade is then passed under the pile or slab of
iron and by the aid of suitable winches the "paddle" or spade is caused
to carry the pile or slab of iron into the furnace.
In order to withdraw a heated pile, slab, or piece of iron or steel from
the furnace arranged according to my Invention a truck or bogie is
placed at the door of the furnace; a moveable winch is placed in rear
of the bogie, and by means of this winch the withdrawing tongs are
caused to draw the heated iron or steel from the furnace and on to the
truck or "bogie."
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed Figure 1 is a vertical
section, and Figure 2 a plan partly in section of so much of a series of
furnaces and rolls arranged according to my Invention as will enable me
to explain the same. In the Drawing the furnaces and rolls are shewn
close together, but in practice the rolls and furnaces are placed at
a suitable distance to allow the workmen to introduce and withdraw the
pile, slab, or piece of iron into or from the furnaces and pass it through
the rolls, the object of my Invention being to economize labour and fuel
and metal by conducting the processes consecutively and rapidly, and at
the same time to improve the quality of the iron or steel when manu-
factured, by maintaining it at a high and even temperature and avoiding
as far as possible oxidation and waste by burning.
a is the first heating furnace for the cold pile or for a slab or mass of
iron. This furnace which has openings on either side, as shewn, I prefer
to form more capacious than the subsequent heating furnaces and to
introduce a sufficient number of piles or blocks of iron or steel to keep
up a supply of heated piles or blocks at such intervals of time that the
subsequent processes can be carried on with speed and regularity. b is
the second and c is the third of the series of heating furnaces, each of

page_text: furnaces according to my Invention as will enable me to explain the
same.
Figure 7 shews a side, and Figure 8 a front elevation of the moveable
withdrawing winch. 9 is the truck or "bogie" placed at the door of the
furnace; his the moveable winch placed in rear of the "bogie." The
chain h¹ of the winch is connected to suitable tongs, and by winding up
the chain the pile or slab of iron is withdrawn from the furnace and
landed upon the truck or "bogie," after which the winch is removed
leaving the way clear for the removal of the truck or bogie with the
pile or slab of iron.
I would here remark that although I have described a series of three
furnaces with rolls placed between them arranged in a continuous linc,
I do not confine myself thereto, as other numbers of furnaces and rolls so
arranged may be found advantageous for some purposes in carrying out
my improvements, which are also applicable for rolling armour and other
plates of iron or steel. The rolls placed between the heating furnaces as
above described may also be caused to revolve first in one direction and
then in the opposite direction so as to roll the bloom backwards and
forwards. After the rail or bar leaves the finishing rolls it is conveyed
whilst hot to rotating saws to have the scrap ends cut off to the proper
length of rail or bar, as is well understood. From the saws the rail or
bar is conveyed to the place where the burr or ragged edges are removed
and the rail straightened.
The rails or bars have been hitherto conveyed as above described from
place to place by human labour; now according to another part of my
Invention I arrange self-acting traction apparatus by means of which
.the rails or bars are attached to a chain and drawn along the ground
or otherwise conveyed from rolls to saws and from saws to place of
finishing and straightening.
According to my Invention I so arrange the traction apparatus for
drawing the rails from rolls to saws as to be driven by the engine
employed for driving the saws, and I prefer to employ an independent
donkey engine for drawing the rails away from the saws to the placo
of finishing and straightening; but I would have it understood that the
traction apparatus may be otherwise actuated without departing from
the nature of this part of my Invention. After the scrap ends have been
cut off, the rail according to my Invention is transferred to a turntable
by which it is placed at a suitable angle for being drawn to the

page_text: apparatus for removing the ragged edges and from thence to the place of
straightening and finishing.
Figure 9, Sheet 2, of the Drawings shows a plan of so much of an
apparatus for conveying rails or bars from place to place as above
described as will enable me to explain the same. A represents the
finishing rolls; B, B, are the saws for cutting off the scrap ends; B' is
the driving shaft for driving the saws; B' is a chain barrel shaft for
winding and unwinding the chain B³. By means of suitable levers
and reversing gear of the ordinary construction, not shewn in the
O Drawing, the axis B' can be arrested or turned in either direction at
will, and by securing suitably formed tongs or clips B at the end of
the chain B³ to a rail or bar B³, as shewn, such rail or bar can be drawn
from the rolls to the straightening plate or saws. Where subsequent
operations have to be performed upon the rail or bar in a line beyond
the point to which such rail or bar has been drawn, other traction
apparatus similar to that above described can be mounted and worked;
as will be readily understood, to draw the rail or bar from point to point.
When the subsequent operations have to be conducted at points at an
angle to that to which the rail or bar has been drawn, such rail or bar
is transferred to the turntable C, by which the rail or bar can be placed
in a suitable position for being drawn from point to point as required by
means of a chain D actuated by a donkey engine at D¹, or other suitable
mechanical contrivance, as will be readily understood and applied by a
competent engineer.
It will also be readily understood that the chain for drawing along the
rail or bar may be endless, and caused to travel when required by any of
the well-known means without departing from the nature of my Invention.
After the scrap ends have been cut off and the rail or bar reduced the
desired length there are burrs or ragged edges at the ends of the.bar.
In order to remove these burrs or ragged edges according to another
part of my Invention the ends of the rail or bar whilst hot are brought
by suitable apparatus opposite to metal caps or sockets, the inner
surfaces of which correspond in form to the section of the bar. The
entrance to each cap, socket, or hollow file is of larger capacity than
the section of the bar to be operated upon, and the interior of the cap
or socket is contracted in form until it fits the ends of the rail or bar,
or nearly so; 'the inner surfaces of the caps or sockets are by preference
serrated or roughened so as to act as files when forced by suitable

page_text: mechanism on to the ends of the rail or other form of bar in order to
remove the burr. Each cap or socket is carried by a rod or slide
attached to a piston, which can be moved to and fro in a cylinder by
means of steam, hydraulic, or other motive power in order to force the
cap or socket on to the end of the rail or bar, whereby the burr or
ragged edges produced by the rotary saws or other cutters are removed.
In Figures 10 and 11, F, F, are sockets or hollow files formed
according to my Invention. The sockets F, F, are secured to the rods
F, F, which are secured to pistons capable of working to and fro within
the cylinders F, F, and upon steam or other fluid under pressure being
admitted within the cylinders F, F, the sockets F, F, will be forced on
to the ends of the rail or bar G so as to remove the ragged edges or burrs
therefrom. It will be readily understood that other suitable mechanical
means may be employed to force the caps or sockets F, F, on to the ends
of the rail or bar for the purpose above described without departing from
my Invention.
It is well known that railway bars, angle iron, and other forms of
metal bars in cooling after rolling warp and require to be straightened
when cold, and are liable to be broken or injured by this operation.
Now according according to another part of my Invention in order to
obtain perfectly straight bars I place and clamp them whilst hot (after
being rolled and the ends cut off) in channels or grooves formed in cast-
iron boxes or plates, the grooves in the two parts of the box or plate by
preference corresponding in form with that of the railway or other bar
they are intended to receive, by this means the bar thus enclosed and
held firmly in grooves between the two cast-iron surfaces will set
perfectly straight when cold. One, two, or more sets of grooves may
be arranged to receive bars in the same box, plate, or press if desired.
Figure 12 shows a side view and Figure 13 shows an end view of a
straightening box constructed according to this part of my Invention,
such straightening box being shown open with a rail or bar laid in it.
Figure 14 shows a side view, and Figure 15 an end view of a similar
box when closed and secured on a rail as above described. H, H³, are
the two parts of the grooved straightening box, which I prefer to hinge
together at the edges; I is the rail or bar; and K, K¹, are screw clamps
for securing the two parts of the box firmly together with the rail or
bar within.

page_text: It will be readily understood that the form of box, the number
of the grooves employed, and the arrangement of the apparatus may
be greatly varied without departing from the nature of my Invention.
According to another part of my improvements the grooved boxes or
plates H, H', before referred to, are formed with holes or openings in
order that the holes for the fish plates or other purposes may be punched
whilst the rail or bar is hot and securely held within the box or between
the plates.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.