IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING STEEL BANDS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN 33
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Sheldon of Stocksbridge near Sheffield in the
County of York for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING STEEL
BANDS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Sheldon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd April 1883.
JOSEPH SHELDON of Stocksbridge near Sheffield in the County of York
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING STEEL BANDS AND IN APPARATUS
THEREIN
EMPLOYED
This invention has for its object improvements in producing stoel bands and in
apparatus employed therein.
For this purpose after reducing the steel to the proper thinness by cold rolling
as is the present practice I pass it through a furnace heated by gas. Immediately
in front of the furnace I provide a pair of rollers kept cool by means of water.
The heated metal issues from the furnace by a mouth piece and passes direct into
the lip of the rolls. Thus it is chilled and hardened. The air is kept from contact
with the metal until it has passed the rolls and thus been cooled.
The steel is drawn continuously forward, is trimmed at the edges and is divided
into a series of parallel strips by a rotary cutting apparatus. This apparatus
consists of two spindles upon which hard steel discs sharpened upon the edges are
mounted. Distance pieces are threaded upon the spindles between the discs to
separate them more or less according to the width of the strips which it is desired
to cut. These distance pieces can be changed from time to time when steel bands
of different widths are required. The discs and distance pieces upon the two
spindles correspond accurately and the spindles are mounted on pivots which are
adjustable so to set the spindles that the discs on the one may slightly overlap and
operate in a shear-like manner with the discs on the other.
The spindles are geared together by pinions and a wheel on one of the spindles
engages with a pinion on an axis having belt pulleys upon it. Thus by a
continuous operation the steel is heated, chilled so as to harden it, trimmed at the
edges and divided into several bands of the width or widths required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Sheldon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd October
1883.
JOSEPH SHELDON of Stocksbridge near Sheffield in the County of York
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING STEEL BANDS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in producing steel bands and in
apparatus employed therein.
For this purpose after reducing the steel to the proper thinness by cold rolling
as is the present practice I pass it through a furnace heated by gas. Immediately
in front of the furnace I provide a pair of rollers kept cool by means of water.
The heated metal issues from the furnace by a mouth piece and passes direct into
the nip of the rolls. Thus it is chilled and hardened.
The air is kept from contact with the metal until it has passed the rolls and thus
been cooled.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed shews a side elevation of a pair of
rolls placed in front of a furnace and kept cold as above described.
A is a horizontal flue in the furnace which is heated by the products of com-
bustion from gas burners being led into it at different points or is kept heated in
other suitable manner.
B B are the rolls made hollow and cooled by a stream of water passed through
them water being introduced into each of them through the axis at one end and
led off through the axis at the opposite end.
In some cases it is requisite in addition to cause the lower part of the bottom
roll to be immersed in oil or water so that its outer surface may the more
effectually be cooled-in this case I provide a trough C for containing the oil or
water as shewn. The rolls may be revolved either by hand or steam power.
Between the furnace and the nip of the rolls is the casing D which protects the
bands of steel from air as they pass from the furnace to the rolls.
The strip or strips of steel are passed through the heated furnace flue and
between the rolls-the strip or strips in passing through the flue get heated to the
proper degree of heat and as they pass through the rolls are at once chilled and
hardened.
Another part of my invention consists in improved means of dividing steel
bands into two or more strips after they have been reduced to the proper thinness
required by cold rolling.
For this purpose I employ rotary cutting apparatus. This apparatus consists of
two spindles upon which hard steel discs sharpened upon the edges are mounted.
Distance pieces are threaded upon the spindles between the discs to separate them
more or less according to the width of the strips which it is desired to cut. These
distance pieces can be changed from time to time when steel bands of different
widths are required. The discs and distance pieces upon the two spindles
correspond accurately and the spindles are mounted on pivots which are
adjustable to admit of the spindles being so set that the discs on the one may
slightly overlap and operate in a shear like manner with the discs on the other.
The spindles are geared together by pinions and a wheel on one of the spindles
engages with a, pinion on an axis having belt pulleys upon it.
Figure 2 shews a plan view Figure 3 a side elevation and Figure 4 an end view
of cutting apparatus constructed as above described. A A are the two spindles,
the conically ended pins which form the pivots for the upper spindle are carried by

page_text: the framing of the machine. The pins B which form the pivots for the lower
spindle are carried at one end of arms C which at their opposite ends are jointed
to the frame so that the spindle may be set higher or lower to adjust its position.
DD are lock nuts by which the arms can be locked to the frame when the position
of the spindle has been accurately adjusted. The adjustment can be effected by
means of the screws D¹ The spindles are geared together by toothed wheels E-
on the upper spindle is also another toothed wheel into which gears a toothed
wheel F on the driving shaft G which can be driven by an endless band. H H are
hard discs of steel sharpened on one edge as shown-they are bored to fit
accurately on to the spindle. II are distance pieces placed between the discs H
to keep them at the required distance apart. The discs and distance pieces are
nipped and held between a collar J and a nut K. screwed on to the spindle as is
clearly shewn at Fig 5 which is a longitudinal section of one of the spindles and
of the cutters carried by it
The band of metal to be cut is led to the cutters between side guides and is
also preferably held down by a roller or otherwise on to a flat surface to keep the
band parallel with the spindles. L is a forked lever by which the driving
belt may be shifted from the fast to the loose pulley on the driving axis G.
After the band has been passed between the cutters and thereby divided into
several strips I lead the several strips on to separate reels all mounted on an axis
near to the cutting apparatus.
The way in which I form the reels is shown at Figures 6 and 7 It is as shown
made up of a number of narrow reels each provided with a single flange-these
are threaded on to a spindle M and are held between a disc N also threaded on
the spindle and a key O. A crank arm P projecting from the disc N passes
through all the narrow reels. The disc and reels can be turned by hand whenever
required by a crank handle on the end of the crank pin. As the several strips
come from the cutting apparatus their ends are passed through slots in the periphery
of the reels and the reels are then turned and caused to wind up the strips each on
a separate reel. When the reels are full they can be taken off the spindle and
other empty reels placed on to the spindle. Preferably I divide the bands of steel
into strips prior to their being hardened they might however be divided into strips
after they have been subjected to the hardening process.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I claim :—
First. The manufacture of hardened bands of thin steel substantially in the
manner herein before described.
Second. The combination of apparatus for dividing bands of thin steel into
strips substantially as herein before described.
Third. The combination of apparatus for winding up the strips on to reels
substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof I the said Joseph Sheldon have hereunto set my hand and
seal this first day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
AHRTRAY