Improvements in and Machinery for the Manufacture of Iron and Steel Sheets.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1996-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Machinery for the Manufacture of Iron and
Steel Sheets.
1, WILLIAM ROBERTS, of No. 75 Horseley Road, Tipton, in the County of
Stafford, Roll Turner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to reduce to a minimum the waste edges, which in
the ordinary manufacture have to be sheared off the rolled sheets of iron or steel,
the largest amount of waste in the rolled sheets being at the rear ends or those ends
which last leave the rolls.
This object I effect by conducting the manufacture of the iron or steel sheets in
the manner hereinafter described and by the use of the machinery, also, hereinafter
described.
In the ordinary manufacture of iron or steel sheets, puddled bars of iron or steel
are taken and formed into a pile which is rolled into a long bar and cut into lengths
to suit the width of sheet to be made. These bars, which are of the same
thickness throughout, are rolled into sheets by ordinary sheet rolls. During the
rolling operation to convert the bar into a sheet the corners of the sheet, principally
at the last end or that end which last leaves the rolls, are considerably elongated
and these elongated corners form the main part of the waste end which has to be
sheered off to give a straight edge to the sheet.
By my invention the rear or last end of the sheet leaves the finishing rolls with
a nearly straight edge and the waste produced is consequently less than that
produced by the ordinary manufacture. My invention also lessens the waste at the
front end and sides of the sheet.
In carrying my invention into effect 1 proceed as follows. Instead of taking a
flat bar rolled by bar rolls from the pile and having the same thickness throughout,
I take a bar having different thicknesses at different parts; that is to say I take a
bar one face of which is flat but the other face has formed upon it a longitudinal
tapering projection. A bar of this kiud is thickest along its middle the thick
middle part tapering or thinning and narrowing down to near the sides and ends of
the bar, where the bar is of uniform thickness. The said longitudinal projection
formed on the face of the bar has in plan the general figure of a diamond with
inclined sides.
Although I have found this form of projection and its position on the face of the
bar to answer well yet I do not limit myself to that form or position as other forms
and positions of the projection or projections may be employed with..ut departing
from the nature of my invention.
When a bar of iron or steel of the sectional figure described or substantially of
that sectional figure, is passed through the plain or sheet rolls in the ordinary way,
the metal is so distributed by the rolling operation that the formation of waste
edges on the ends and sides of the sheet is reduced to a minimum aud great
economy in the manufacture thereby results.
I forin the thickened bar which I use by passing a bar cut from the rolled pile
through a pair of grooved rolls, one of the rolls of which has in its periphery
depressions corresponding in figure with the longitudinal projection to be formed
on the har

page_text: I prefer to make in the roll, two or more depressions so that two or more
projections in line and at a short distance apart are rolled on the bar. By cutting
the fashioned bar transversely between the ends of the projections on its face, two
or more bars of the kind I employ are produced each bar being used for the rolling
of a sheet.
The longitudinal projection may be made on each face of the bar. In this case
both of the grooved rolls have the necessary depressions in their acting faces.
Dated this Fourth day of February 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
CATION.
Improvements in and Machinery for the Manufacture of Iron and
Steel Sheets.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTS, of No. 75 Horseley Road, Tipton, in the County
of Stafford Roll Turner, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to reduce to a minimum the waste edges, which in
the ordinary manufacture, have to be sheared off rolled sheets of iron or steel, the
largest amount of waste in the rolled sheets being at the rear ends or those ends
which last leave the rolls.
This object I effect by couducting the manufacture of the iron or steel sheets in
the manner hereinafter described and by the use of the machinery; also, hereinafter
described.
In the ordinary manufacture of iron or steel sheets puddled bars of iron or steel
are taken and formed into a pile which is rolled into a long bar and cut into lengths
to suit the width of sheet to be made. These bars which, are of the same thickness
throughout, are rolled into sheets by ordinary sheet rolls. During the rolling
operation to convert the bar into a sheet the corners of the sheet, principally at the
last end or that end which last leaves the rolls, are considerably elongated and
these elongated corners form the main part of the waste end which has to be sheared
off to give a straight edge to the sheet.
By my invention the rear or last end of the sheet leaves the finishing rolls with
a nearly straight edge and the waste produced is consequently less than that
produced by the ordinary manufacture. My invention also lessens the waste at the
front end and sides of the sheet.
In carrying my invention into effect I proceed as follows. Instead of taking a
flat bar rolled by bar rolls from the pile and having the same thickness throughout,
I take a bar having different thicknesses at different parts; that is to say, I take a
bar one face of which is flat but the other face has formed upon it a longitudinal
tapering projection. A bar of this kind is thickest along its middle the thick
middle part tapering or thinning and narrowing down to near the ends of the bar,
where the bar is of uniform thickness. The said longitudinal projection formed on
the face of the bar bas in plan the general figure of a diamond with inclined sides.
Although I have found this form of projection and its position on the face of the
bar to auswer well yet I do not limit myself to that form or position as other forms
and positions of the projection or projections may be employed without departing
from the nature of my invention.
When a bar of iron or steel of the sectional figure described, or substantially of
that sectional figure, is passed through the plain or sheet rolls in the ordinary way,
the metal is so distributed by the rolling operation that the formation of waste

page_text: edges on the ends and sides of the sheet is reduced to a minimum and great
economy in the manufacture thereby results.
I form the thickened bar which I use by passing a bar cut from the rolled pile
through a pair of grooved rolls, one of the rolls of which has in its periphery
depressions corresponding in figure with the longitudinal projection to be formed on
the bar.
The longitudinal projection may be made on each face of the bar. In this case
both of the grooved rolls have the necessary depressions in their acting faces.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings I have represented in plan,
longitudinal section and cross section respectively one of the forms of puddled iron
or steel bars I make from which to produce au iron or steel sheet according to my
improved method of manufacture. The bar marked a has a longitudinal lozenge
shaped rib or projection a³ at its middle, the said rib a preferably tapering from
the middle or thickest part towards the ends as will be seen by reference to
Figure 2.
When a bar of the kind described and represented is rolled in ordinary sheet
rolls in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 a sheet of the kind represented in
Figure 4 is made, that is, a sheet having practically straight sides and ends is
produced consequently there is but little waste in the subsequent shearing process
as hereinbefore pointed out.
The projection a' on the bar a instead of having a lozenge shape may have
parallel or approximately parallel sides as represented in Figure 5.
Or a bar having a projection or rib a on each side may be produced as represented
in Figure 6, each of the said ribs being of about one half the thickness of the single
rib Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Or two (or more) longitudinal parallel lozenge shaped or other shaped ribs on
one or both sides of the bar may be produced as represented in Figure 7 with the
same or nearly the same result.
Or a puddled bar having less metal at the ends than at the middle may be
produced by forming depressions in one or both ends of the bar as represented in
Figure 8 so as to produce a bar having a greater thickness or mass of metal at the
middle than at the ends.
Or a bar having a greater width at the middle as represented in Figure 9
instead of a greater thickness at the middle may be employed with the same or
nearly the same result.
In producing a puddled iron or steel bar, say, of the kind represented in Figures 1,2
and 3, I employ a pair of rolls of the kind represented in elevation in Figure 10
and pass a billet or pile through the first, second, third and fourth grooves therein
in the ordinary way and then through the fifth or final groove. The operating
face of that part of the top roll constituting with the opposite part of the lower
roll the fifth or final groove, bas in it a depression 6 the counterpart of the rib to be
produced on the said bar. I prefer to make in the roll, two or more depressions
so that two or more projections in line and at a short distance apart are rolled on
the bar. By cutting the fashioned bar transversely between the ends of the
projections on its face, two or more bars of the kind I employ are produced, each
bar being used for the rolling of a sheet.
Instead of employing a roll having a groove or depression b therein a pair of
ordinary or grooved rolls may be employed, a die plate (see Figures 11 12, 13
and 14) being passed through the said rolls in conjunction with the said bar.
Figure 13 represents in cross section the bar a on the die plate e before the rolling
operation and Figure 14 is a similar view after the rolling operation. By the said
rolling operation the metal of the bar a is forced into the depression in the die
plate c and the rib or projection a' is thereby formed on the bar a. On the removal
of the rolled and fashioned bar a the die plate c returns to the position represented
in Figure 11 by the weight shown.
In forming a bar of the kind represented in Figure 6 two die plates similar to

page_text: that marked c in Figure 11 may be used in combination, one die over the bar and
the other under it.
Or the die plate e may be dispensed with, the top and bottom rolls being provided
with the necessary depressions in their acting faces.
In producing the har Figure 7 the impressed roll or rolls, or impressed roll and
die plate or plates, have two nearly parallel depressions made in their acting faces,
and in producing the bar Figure 8 the rolls or dies have projections instead of
depressions for forming the depressions a', a' in the bar.
:
In making the bar Figure 9 the bar is rolled on its edges instead of on its upper
and lower faces, a depression being formed in the acting face of one or both rolls
for producing the expanded side or sides of the bar.
Instead of forming the ribs or depressions by rolling they may be produced by
stamping.
For reducing the waste or scrap in the manufacture of steel sheets I adopt the
same methods, either in the ingots, slabs, piles or bars, as those herein before
described with respect to iron slabs or bars.
Or the projection or projections or depressions may be produced on the steel bars
or ingots by the mould in the casting process.
Or puddled iron or steel bars thicker at the middle than at the ends may be
produced by rolling a billet or pile of the kind represented in Figure 15, that is, a
pile consisting of several bars of a symmetrical shape and size with a smaller bar
or bars suitably shaped between the upper and lower pairs of larger bars.
I wish it to be understood that by the term "sbeets of iron and steel" herein-
before given I include both sheets of iron and steel commercially known as "sheets "
and rolled sheets of iron and steel commercially known as "plutes."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention -
First. The improvements in the manufacture of iron and steel sheets herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the said
improvements consisting in the production of and manufacture of sheets from bars,
piles, slabs or ingots having a greater mass or thickness of metal at the middle than
at the ends, the said greater mass or thickness of metal being provided by forming
a projection or projections on or near the middle of the bar, slab or ingot, or by
forming a depression or depressions in the ends of the bar slab or ingot, or by
giving the bar slab or ingot a greater width at the middle thau at the ends
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and represented.
Secondly. The improvements in machinery for the manufacture of bars of the
kind referred to in the prior claim from which bars iron and steel sheets are
manufactured by rolling in the ordinary way the said improved machinery consisting
essentially of a pair of rolls the acting surface of one of the grooves of one or both
of which rolls have in them either depressions the counterpart of the projection or
projections to be formed on the bars, or projections to form depressions in the ends
of the bar; or consisting in the use with ordinary grooved rolls of a die plate or
die plates of the kind hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the Seventh day of October 1896
WILLIAM ROBERTS.