Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Coating Metal Plates or Sheets with Tin, Lead, or other Metals or Alloys.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Coating Metal Plates
or Sheets with Tin, Lead, or other Metals or Alloys.
We, PHILIP ROGERS, of 4 St. George's Terrace, Swansea, in the County of
Glamorgan, Machinery Agent, and JoHN PLAYER of Clydach. near Swansea,
aforesaid, Tin Plate Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in machinery or apparatus of the
kind described in the Specifications of former Letters Patent granted to us, dated
respectively 19th Nov. 1886 No. 15,040, and 24th July 1890 No. 11,606, for conting
metal plates with tin, lead, or other metals or metallic alloys, and it has for object
to further improve the construction and operation of such machinery or apparatus,
and to further increase the working capacity and economy thereof.
A machine of the kind referred to according to the present invention comprises
a pot for the molten coating metal or alloy; a grease box containing two complete
sets of finishing rolls each working in a roll feeding trough; two flux-boxes; two
cradles; a clip bar provided with two sets of spring clips which receive the plates
to be coated, two at a time one through each flux box, carries them down into the
molten metal in the said pot and delivers them through guide boxes and the grease
box into the lower pairs of finishing rolls; a pick-up apparatus provided with two
pairs of mechanical fingers and adapted to automatically remove the finished plates
two at a time from the top pairs of finishing rolls and cither deposit them in a
suitable rack as described in our former Specifications, or place them on a table or
shelf conveniently arranged for the work people to clean, or place them on a
conveyor that will automatically deliver them into a suitable cleaning machine;
and mechanism for operating the several parts mentioned.
Each of the cradles, the clip bar with clips and springs, and the guide bars for
the cradles are or may be constructed as described in our said former Specification
No. 11606 of 1890, but the clip bar is provided with a projection at each and to
work against the guide bars in order to prevent the clips falling forward. Also the
clip bar and attached parts are raised and lowered by side lever as in our former
arrangement, but these side levers are operated in the improved manner we will
now explain.
The side levers are moved into their highest position by a counterbalance weight
which nets through a slotted link on a pin enrried by a lever arm fixed on a shaft
on which the said side levers are also fixed, the said link being adjustably connected,
as by a pivoted screw, to one end of another lever the other end of which, preferably
provided with an anti-friction roller, is kept in contact with a cam fixed on a second
shaft. The arrangement is such that when the said cam is turned in one direction
the side-levers are first allowed to fall and lower the clip-bar into the most.
convenient position for inserting the plates into the spring clips, in which position
it is held for a time whilst a circular or non-eccentric portion of the cam is
travelling in contact with the aforesaid anti-friction roller, then the can allows the
side-levers to descend to their lowest position so as to permit the top edges of the
plates to pass under the V-shaped ribbed casting or guide arranged near the top of
ibe metal pot and below the guide box as described in our said prior Specification
No. 11606 of 1890, immediately after which the cam allows the said side levers,
under the action of the counterweight, to rise to their highest position and thereby
insert the top edges of the plates between the lower sets of finishing rolls.
With our former arrangement of mechanism for overating the side levers, the

page_text: cam or crank employed, gave positive motion to the side-levers on their downward
stroke, the slot in the connecting rod permitting the upward stroke to be performed
only by the side-lever counterbalance weight so that in the event of a plate going
wrong, no injury was done to the machinery. We find however that many machines
are injured by tools and other articles being placed on the hot-plate in the path of
the side-levers which are bent upon coming in contact with these obstructions on
their downward stroke. The new arrangement of operating mechanism for the said
side levers provides perfect relief for both up and down strokes, for when the
counterbalance weight is raised by the cam and lever with roller, the side levers
fall by their own weight only owing to the pin carried by the aforesaid lever arm
working freely in the slot in link, so that if anything prevents the side levers
moving towards their lowest position, the force acting to depress them is only that
due to their weight, (the clip bar being almost supported by the molten tin and
quite float in terne mixture) and the cam will continue to raise the counterbalance
weight without damage, as the slot is longer than the full stroke of the said lever
arm. On the other hand, should the side-levers or clip-bar he jambed down, it will
be only the extra weight of the counterbalance above what is required to balance
the side levers, that tends to bring them up, and the anti-friction roller on the
second lever will be kept from contact with the cam altogether, or in part,
according to the position of the side lever. In either case no damage can take
place. An eccentric can be used in place of cam shown, if required.
A modified form of clip device, according to this invention, suitable for short
plates, comprises a clip-bar with vertical guide pieces and lateral jaws to slide on
the guide bars, bent clips each having a shoulder on which a plate to be coated can
rest and a curved free end, and bent springs each secured to the corresponding bent
clip by a stud that may conveniently be about 1" long by wide, and is arranged
to fit in a slot in the said spring which is held in place by a split pin or equivalent
means passed through a hole in the stud, the arrangement being such as to permit
of the springs being more conveniently reset than in our former arrangement in
which the screws become fixed after being in the molten metal for a short time.
Extending along each group of clips is a guide bar that is rivetted to each clip.
This bar is arranged to work just clear of the front of the ordinary guide ribs or
bars at the back of the molten metal pot, and prevents the clips falling back too far
into the spaces between the said ribs or bars in which case the plates could not be
placed in the nip of the clips. The vertical guide pieces on the clip bar serve to
prevent the clips falling forward.
The pick-up apparatus which in general construction and arrangement is similar to
that described in our said prior Specification No. 11,606 of 1890 is constructed with
springs instead of a weight, to give the necessary gripping power to the mechanical
fingers of which two pairs are provided secured to the vertically movable operating
rod by a cross bar. Also each touch device for opening the fingers to grasp and
rolease the plates, comprises according to this invention, a block adjustably mounted
on a touch-rod and provided with hinged latch piece that normally rests on
projecting wing pieces, the arrangement being such it by accident, or carelessness,
the touch bolt of the mechanical fingers should get below the said latch piece it
will be released by the latch piece rising and afterwards falling into its place when
the fingers have passed.
n
The improved machine is designed to increase the output of plates of a law grade,
in making which the finishing rolls are run much slower than when a better finish
plate is required; also to lessen cost of labour, and economise materials, as compared
with the results obtained from other constructions of apparatus heretofore used for
like purposes.

page_text: COMPUTE
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Coating Motal Plates
or Sheets with Tin, Lead, or other Metals or Alloys.
We, PHILIP ROGERS, formerly of + St. George's Terrace, but now of
1 Uplands Crescent, Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Machinory Agent,
and Joux PLAYER, of Clydach near Swansea, aforesaid, Tin Plate Manufacturer,
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 has reference to improvements in machinery or apparatus of the
kind described in the Specifications of former Letters Patent granted to us, dated
respectively 19th November 1886 No. 15040, and 24th July 1890 No. 11606 for
coating metal plates with tin, lead, or other metals or metallic alloys, and it has
for object to further improve the construction and operation of such machinery or
apparatus, and to further increase the working capacity and economy thereof, as we
will now proceed to explain by aid of the accompanying drawings wherein,
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations at right angles to each other, and both partly in
vertical section, showing our improved machine;
Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, with part of the pick-up apparatus omitted; and
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views to a larger scale.
Fig. 6 is an end elevation, showing, also to a larger scale, a modified form of
clip suitable for short plates.
A machine of the kind referred to, according to the present invention compuses
a pot A for the molten coating metal or alloy; a grease box B containing two completo
sets of finishing rolls G, G¹G³, G³, ench roll working in a roll feeding trough K;
two lux-boxes C and C₁; two cradles H; a clip bar d provided with two sets of
spring clips which receive the plates to be conted, two at a time, one through each
Hux box, carries them down into the molten metal in the pot A and delivers then
through guide boxes I and the grease box into the lower pairs of finishing
rolls Ga pick-up apparatus, marked collectively D, provided with two pairs of
mechanical fingers and adapted to automatically remove the finished plates, two at
a time from the top pairs of finishing rolls G, and either deposit them in a
suitable rack as described in our said former Specifications, or place them on a
table or shelf conveniently arranged for work people to clean them, or place them
on a conveyor that will automatically deliver them into a suitable cleaning machine;
and mechanism for operating the several parts mentioned.
Each of the cradles H, the clip bar d'having slotted ends forming the lateral
jaws and provided with clips e and springs el, the guide bars c with which the
jaws of the clip bar d engage, and the side guide plates y, are or may, as shown,
be constructed as described in our said former Specification No. 11606 of 1890.
Each end of the clip bar d however is provided according to this invention, with
an arm arranged to project upwardly beyond the corresponding jaw d', and to
work against the guide barse in order to effectually prevent the spring clips e
falling forward, that is to the left in Fig. 1.
The clip bar d and attached parts are raised and lowered by side levers b, ns in
our former arrangements, but these side levers are operated in the improved manner
we will now explain. The side levers are moved into their highest position, as
shown, by a counterbalance weight 2 which acts through a slotted link or rød b
on a piu 6 carried by a lever arm b' fixed on a shaft a on which the said side
levers are also fixed. The said link or rod is adjustably connected, as by a
pivoted screw 6º, to one end of another lever b, the other end of which is
preferably provided with an antifriction roller &, which is normally kept by the
weight in contact with a cam e fixed on a second shaft e. As will be seen, the

page_text: arrangement. is such. that. when the said cam e is turned in the direction of
the arrow, the rod is raised off the pin b* by the action of the eccentric portion e
of the cam on the lever whereby the side-levers are first allowed to fall and
lower the clip-bar d into a convenient position for inserting the plates into the
spring clips e, and in which position it is held for a time, whilst a circular or non-
eccentric portion of the came is travelling in contact with the anti-friction
roller. Then the eccentric portion e of the cam raises the rod still further
and allows the side-levers to descend to their lowest position so as to permit the
top edges of the plates to pass under the V-shaped ribbed casting or guide/',
immediately after which the cam owing to its peculiar form, allows the said side
levers b, to rise, under the action of the counterweight on the pin b, to their
highest position, and thereby insert the top edges of the plates between the lower
sets of finishing rolls G. The guide is arranged near the top of the metal
pot A and below the guide box I, as described in our said former Specification
No. 11606 of 1890.
With our former arrangements of mechanisin for operating the side levers, the
cam or crank employed, gave positive motion to the side levers on their downward
stroke, the slot in the connecting rod used in that arrangement, permitting the
upward stroke to be performed only by the side-lever counterbalance weight, so
that in the event of a plate going wrong, no injury was done to the machinery.
We find, however that many machines are injured by tools and other articles being
placed on the hob-plate in the path of the side-levers which are hent upon coming
in contact with these obstructions on their downward stroke. The new arrangement
of operating mechanism for the said side levers b, provides perfect relief for both
up and down strokes, for when the counterbalance weight is raised by the cam e
and lever, the side levers fall by their own weight ouly, owing to the pin b*
carried by the lever arm & working freely in the slot in the rod &, so that if
anything prevents the said side levers moving towards their lowest position, the
force acting to depress them is only that due to their weight, the clip bar with
clips and plates being almost supported by the molten tin in which they are
immersed, and quite supported in terne alloy. The cam will however continue to
raise the counterbalance weight but without damage to any part, as the slot b³ is
longer than the full stroke of the pin carried by the said lever arm . On the
other hand, should the side levers or clip-bar from any cause become jammed
down, it will be only the extra weight of the counterbalance 2 above what is
required to balance the side levers, that tends to bring them up, the antifriction
roller on the lever being then kept from contact with the cam e altogether, or
in part, according to the position of the said side lever. In either case no
damage can take place. As will be obvious, the form of the came can be varied
if required.
A modified form of clip device according to this invention, suitable for short
plates, is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises the clip-bar d with vertical guide pieces d'
and lateral jaws d to slide on the guide bars c, bent clipse each having a
shoulder e on which a plate to be conted can rest and a curved free end, and bent
springs each secured to the corresponding bent clips e by a stude" that may
conveniently be about 1" long by wide, aud is arranged to extend through a slot
in the said spring which is then held in place by a split pin e" or equivalent means
passed through a hole in the stud, the arrangement being such as to permit of the
springs being more conveniently reset than in the arrangements described in our
said former Specification No. 11606 of 1890, in which the screws used for setting
the springs become so fixed, after being in the molten metal for a short time, as to
prevent their ready removal and re-use. Extending along cach group of clips is a
guide bar e which is rivetted to each clip. This bar is arranged to work just clear
of the front of the ordinary guide ribs or bars M at the back of the inolten metal
pot, and prevents the clips e falling back too far into the spaces between the said
ribs or bars in which case the plates to be coated could not be placed in the clips.
The vertical guide pieces on the ends of the clip bar serve to prevent the clips

page_text: falling forward. The clip bar d is provided at each end with a pin by which it.
is jointed to the links that serve to connect it with the side levers b.
The pick-up apparatus D, which in general construction arrangement and
operation is similar to that described in our said prior Specification No. 11606.
of 1890, is constructed with pairs of coiled springs, to give the necessary
gripping power to the mechanical fingers a', of which in the arrangement shows,
two sets are provided, secured to the vertically movable operating rod o² by a
cross bar o. The coiled springs, of which there is one to each movable finger,
are arranged in pairs around the pin a' carrying the movable fingers of each set of
fingers (Fig. 5) one end of each spring being arranged to bear against the cross.
bar o rigidly connected with the fixed fingers, and the other end being connected
to or arranged to hear against the corresponding movable finger n' or, as shown,
against a pin carried by a pair of lever arms i forming extensions of the pair of
novable fingers so as normally to hold the said finger in its closed position.
n'
Ench touch device for opening the fingers to grasp and release the plates,
comprises, according to this invention, a block adjustably mounted on the
touch-rod and provided with a binged latch piece that normally rests on
projecting wing pieces of the block (Figs. 1 2 and 3), and projects in the path
of a touch bolt, carried by the pair of lever arms, the arrangement being such
that if by accident, or carelessness, the touch bolt should get below the said latch
piece, the said latch piece will be lifted when the said tonch bolt rises in contact
with its underside, and thereby permit the said bolt to move freely upward, after
which the said latch piece will fall back into its place on the wing pieces
to again open the pivoted fingers at the required time.
ready
Each set of finishing rollers G, G, G³, G³, (Figs. 2 and 3) are geared together
in the ordinary way and driven through a worm wheel G worm G', cross shaft G
and bevel wheels G from the driving shaft L which is provided with fast and loose
pulleys LL. Each cross shaft G is provided with a haud wheel G. The
shaft for operating the came, and the take-up apparatus D, is driven from one
of the worm wheels G through change wheels fh.
The improved machine hereinbefore described is designed to increase the output
of plates of a low grade, in making which the finishing rolls are run much slower
than when a better finish plate is required also to lessen cost of labour, and
economise materials as compared with the results obtained from other constructions
of apparatus heretofore used for like purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the unture of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a machine for coating metal plates and sheets, the combination with a
molten metal pot, and fixed vertical guide bars therein, of the vertically movable
plate carrier consisting of the horizontal bar d adapted at its ends to slide on the
said guide bars and provided with spring clips e, e and at its ends with vertical
arms d'arranged to extend upward above the guided ends of the guide bar and to
work against said guide bars c, substantially as herein described for the purpose
specified.
2. In a machine for coating metal plates and sheets, the combination with a
pot A having ribs M at the back thereof, and fixed vertical guide bars c, of a
vertically movable plate carrier comprising a horizontal bar dadapted to slide
vortically ou said guide bars and provided at each end with vertical guide pieces d'
arranged to work against said guides c and with spring clips cach consisting of a
bent clipe having a shoulder e and a curved free eud, a bent spring e', a stud ela
secured to said hent clip and extending through a slot in said bent spring, and a
pin e extending through said stud on the outer side of said bent spring, and a
guide bar e extending along and secured to said beut clips e and arranged to work
just clear of the ribs M on said pot, substantially as herein described for the
purposes specified.

page_text: 3. In a machine for conting metal plates or sheets, the combination with levers
for operating a vertically movable plate-carrier in the molten metal pot of the
machine, of a weight-carrior connected with the said levers so that each can move
vertically to a limited extent independently of the other, a counterbalance weight
supported by the said weight carrier and adapted, when suspended by said levers,
to raise the same and attached plate-carrier, and means for raising and lowering
the said weight carrier and weight at the required times, substantially as herein
described for the purposes specified.
4. In a machine for coating metal plates or sheets, the combination with the
levers carrying the vertically movable plate-carrier, of the improved operating
mechanism therefor, constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings annexed.
5. In a machine for coating netal plates or sheets, the combination with a pick
up apparatus baving pairs of mechanical fingers n'adapted to automatically remove
coated plates from the coating apparatus, of tappet mechanism arranged to open
said fingers and comprising a touch rod k, a block adjustably mounted on said rod
and provided with a projecting part or parts, and a latch piece hinged or pivoted
to said block and normally resting on the projecting part or parts thereof in the
path of an extension of one or some of said fingers, substantially as herein described
for the purpose specified.
6. The improved machinery or apparatus for conting metal plates or sheets with
tin, lend, or other metal or alloy, constructed arranged and operating substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of
the drawings annexed.
PHILIP ROGERS.
JOHN PLAYER.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.