IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATE FOR ROLLING WELDLESS CYLINDRICAL BOILER PLATES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Smith, of Low Moor, near Bradford, in the County
of York, Tyre Roller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATE FOR ROLLING WELDLESS CYLINDRICAL BOILER PLATES."
Sealed the 11th January 1878, and dated the 20th July 1877.
зладат.
COLLY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Smith at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1877.
ISAAC SMITH, of Low Moor, near Bradford, in the County of York, Tyre Roller.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING WELDLESS
CYLINDERICAL BOILER PLATES."
The object of this Invention is to arrange an apparatus for the purpose of
constructing cylendrical tubes for the flues or furnaces and the shell plates of cylen-
drical boilers direct from the cast-steel bloom, or wrought-iron coil, without having to
resort to the common practice of riveting or welding the longitudinal seams, and
thus to retain the full strength of the plates.
I accomplish my object in the following manner :-I form a strong metal bed
plate on which I erect the standards of my apparatus; between these standards, and
transversley to the bed plate, I fix the journal castings for supporting the rollers;
one of these journal castings is arranged in such a manner that the upper portion
is removable by means of an hydraulic cylinder, which is fixed on the top of the
standards and connected to the top portion of the journal block or casting.
When the steel bloom or wrought-iron coil is to be put between the rollers, the
top portion of the journal block is lifted in the manner before described, and the top
roller is lifted by means of an bydraulic cylinder fixed under the end of the top
roller, and when lifted is kept in position by means of a dog that is placed between
the rollers; when the material for forming the plate is between the rollers the top
roller is lowered and the upper portion of the journal block is secured in position.
Motion is imparted to the rollers in the ordinary manner, and the pressure to

page_text: the rollers is obtained by means of hydraulic pumps and accumulator of the ordinary
description, which are in connection with hydraulic cylinders fixed under each of
the journal castings; the piston rods of these cylinders are attached to the bottom
roller journal steps, and on opening the valves in the pipes connecting the accuinu-
lator to the cylinders the pressure will be applied to the pistons and the bottom
roller; the thickness of the plate is regulated by means of nuts that are secured on
the bottom ends of the piston rods that pass through to the under side of the
cylinders, so that when the plate is rolled to the thickness required the nuts will be
in contact with the solid portion of the cylinder, and thus prevent the pistons from
travelling and pressing the plates thinner than required.
In order to keep the plate true whilst rolling I fix two diagonal hydraulic
cylinders, one on each side of the apparatus, having a slide at the end of the piston
rod next the rolled plate; in these slides I fix a rollar that comes in contact with
the rolled plate; these diagonal pistons are balanced by means of weights and
levers, and so arranged that the rollers in the before-named slides will be kept
slightly in contact with the rolled plate. I fix rollers that are adjustable to run in
contact with the edges of the plates for the purpose of keeping the edges of the
plates true and streight..
For the purpose of accertaining the diameter of the plate whilst undergoing the
operation of rolling, I fix at each end of the rolled plate a lever, supported by a
fulcrum attached to any convenient part of the apparatus; one end of these levers
is fitted with a small pulley and rests on the outer diameter of the rolled plate;
the other end of each of the levers slide in an index plate which indicates the
diameters of the rolled plates.
When the plate is rolled to the proper size the top portion of the journal block
is removed and the top roller lifted, as before described, when the rolled plate can
be removed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaac Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th January
1878.
ISAAC SMITH, of Low Moor, near Bradford, in the County of York, Tyre Roller.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING WELDLESS
CYLINDRICAL BOILER PLATES."
The object of this Invention is to arrange an apparatus for the purpose of
constructing cylindrical tubes for the flues or furnaces and the shell plates of cylin-
drical boilers direct from the cast-steel bloom, or wrought-iron coil, without having
to resort to the common practice of rivetting or welding the longitudinal seams,
and thus retain the full strength of the plates.
i
I accomplish my object in the following manner:-I form a strong metal bed
plate on which I erect the standards of my apparatus; between these standards, and
transversely to the bed plate, I fix the journal castings for supporting the rollers;
one of these journal castings is arranged in such a manner that the upper portion
or cap of one of the journals is removable by means of an hydraulic cylinder which
is fixed on the top of the standards; this cylinder is fitted with a piston, the rod of
which is connected to the top portion or cap of the journal block.
When the steel bloom or wrought-iron coil is heated to the proper temperature
and ready to be put between the rollers, the top portion or cap of the journal block
is lifted from off the roller in the manner before described, the top roller is lifted
from off the bottom roller by means of an hydraulic cylinder that is fixed under
the projecting end of the top roller; the top roller thus lifted is kept in position by
means of a dog that is placed between the rollers; and when the material for
forming the cylindrical plate is between the rollers the dog is removed, the top
roller is lowered, and the upper portion of the journal block or cap is lowered and
secured in position.
Rotary motion is imparted to the rollers in the usual manner, and pressure is
applied to the bottom roller by means of hydraulic cylinders, one of which is placed
under each journal of the bottom roller; the cylinders are in connection with pumps
and accumulator of the ordinary description; the top end of the piston rods of
these last-named cylinders are attached to the bottom roller journal steps, and on
opening the valves, which are also of the ordinary description, in the pipes con-
necting the accumulator to the cylinders, the pressure is applied to the pistons and
bottom roller. The rollers receive rotary motion in the ordinary manner, and by
revolving rolls the steel bloom or wrought-iron coil that is between the rollers into
a circular weldless tube or plate; the thickness of the plate is regulated by means of
adjustable nuts that are screwed on the bottom ends of each of the last-named
piston rods that pass through to the under side of the cylinders that are fixed under
the journals of the rollers, so that when the plate is rolled to the thickness the nuts
will be in contact with the solid portion of the cylinder, and thus prevent the
pistons from travelling and pressing the plates thinner than required.
1
In order to keep the plate true whilst rolling I fix two diagonal cylinders, one
on each side of the apparatus, having a slide at the end of the piston rod next the
rolled plates; in these slides I fix one or more rollers that are in contact with the
periphery of the rolled plate; the pistons in the before-named diagonal cylinders
are balanced by means of weights, or levers and weights, and so arranged that the
rollers in the before-named slides will be slightly in contact with the rolled plate,
and thus keep the plate steady whilst revolving. In order to true up the edges of
the plate I fix adjustable rollers that run in contact with the edges of the plate, and
thus the edges are made true and straight.
For the purpose of ascertaining the diameter of the plate whilst undergoing the
operation of rolling, I fix two lovers, supported by a fulcrum attached to any con-
venient part of the apparatus, one end of each of these levers is fitted with a small

page_text: pulley that rests on the outer diameter of the rolled plate; the other end of the
levers slide in a graduated index plate which indicates the diameter of the plate
that is being operated upon.
When the plate is rolled to the proper size the top portion of the journal block
is removed and the top roller lifted, as before-described; the rolled plate can be
removed.
By my Invention I am enabled to roll weldless boiler fluc tubes of a corrugated
form, the corrugations running round the tube or transversely to the axis of the
same; by the adoption of corrougated tubes, as described, the flues are better enabled
to resist the compressive strains, and at the same time an additional amount of
heating surface is obtained in the flue.
In order that my Invention may be more completely understood, I have hereunto
appended Drawings illustrating the same, and such parts that are old and not
necessary to ellucidate the Invention are omitted.
Figure 1 is a section of my apparatus through line a, b, also through the centre
line of cylinders D and H.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of my apparatus.
Figure 3 is also a section through line a, b, but looking in the opposite direction.
In all the Figures like parts are indicated by like letters and figures wherever
they are repeated.
The base plate of my apparatus is indicated by the letter A; this plate is secured
to the masonry foundation, not shown in the Drawing, by the bolts A¹; on to the
top side of plate A are fixed the standards B, B, and across the top of the same is
the bridge tree C, carrying the hydraulic cylinder D; this cylinder is in connection
with an ordinary accumulator, and is fitted with a piston D₁ to which is attached
rod D2; the bottom end of the piston rod is secured to the top journal casting or
cap E, when it is desired to lift the cap E, by removing the catches F, which are
centred on pins F on the under side of bed plate, and opening a valve in the pipe
connecting the accumulator to the under side of the piston, the same will be raised up,
the guides formed in the standards B, B, and thus be clear of the top roller G; when
the casting E is removed the top roller G can be lifted from off the bottom roller G¹
by means of hydraulic cylinder H that is fixed under the projecting end of the top
roller G; this cylinder, as is also the other cylinders to be hereafter described, is
in connection with the accumulator, which is not shewn on Drawing, being of the
ordinary description; when the top roller is lifted in order to place the steel bloom
or wrought-iron coil thereon, it is kept in position by means of a dog that is placed
between the rollers; and when the steel bloom is between the rollers the dog is
removed, and the journal casting or cap E is lowered and secured by means of
catches F, as shewn on Drawing.
The rollers are actuated in the usual manner, and pressure is applied to the
bottom roller by means of cylinders J and J'; the bottom end of each of the piston
rods in these last-named cylinders at J and Js are screwed, and fitted with spur
wheels K and K¹, and gear into the deep spur wheels K² and K³, which are
attached to shafts carried by suitable journals; these shafts are connected by means
of bevel or other gear to other shafts, which are conducted to any suitable position
in order that the attendant can regulate either one or both of the before-named
nuts K and K, and thus adjust the thickness of the plate.
The diagonal cylinders L are secured at each side of the apparatus, and to tho
end of the piston rod L¹ is attached a chain which passes over pulley M; this chain
is weighted by weight N for the purpose of drawing the piston back when the
pressure is removed; the other end of the piston rods are attached to slides O, to
which are fitted rollers O' that come in contact with the circumference of the rolled
plate P, and thus support or steady the plate whilst it is being rolled; the vertical
rollers Qrun in contact with the edge of the plate P and makes the edges of the
same true; one of the rollers is made adjustable by means of screw R in order to
roll plates of various widths; on the top of the roller standard S is fitted the

page_text: bracket T, which acts as the fulcrum of the levers U and U'; one end of these
levers is fitted with a small pulley that runs on the periphery of the rolled plate,
and thus actuates the pointers U2 and Us on the graduated scale V, which shews the
diameter of the plate that is being rolled.
When the plate is rolled to the proper diameter and thickness the same can be
removed in the manner before described by removing the cap E and lifting the
top roller G.
The plates can be made in a corrugated form by putting in rollers that are turned
to the section required.
The valves that are fixed in the pipes connecting the accumulator with each of
the hydraulic cylinders are of the ordinary kind, and are fixed in any convenient
position near the apparatus.
Having thus described my Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with
for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details shewn and described, as these may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but that what I believe to
be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and combination of the
various parts of the apparatus used for rolling parallel or corrugated weldless
cylindrical tubes direct from the cast-steel bloom, substantially as herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Smith, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight. •
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
JOHN WAUGH,
Patent Agent,
Bradford,
York,
ISAAC SMITH. (L.S.)