Improvements in or Connected with Machinery for Rolling Metals.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Jan., 1889
Improvements in or Connected with Machinery for Rolling
Metals.
I, HUGO SACK, of No. 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as follows:-
In the process of rolling metal bars, slabs or blooms the sectional area of the
same is reduced by the bars, slabs or blooms being passed successively through different
grooves in the rolls, and this necessitates the moving of the bars, slabs or blooms from
one groove to another which is an exceedingly difficult operation if performed by
band, when the blooms are heavy or the bars large and this invention relates to the
construction and arrangement of mechanism, in connection with a system of rollers
(hereinafter termed the "feed rollers "), sunk in the floor, and situated before and
behind the rolling mill, for the purpose of handling and turning the bars, slabs or
blooms in the manner referred to, such mechanism being 'driven by steam, hydraulic
or other suitable power.
The mechanism to which this invention relates is arranged below the feed roller
train above referred to, being, by preference, placed within a cavity in the floor, and
it consists of a horizontal shaft on which, at certain distances apart, are fixed a number
of castings between which the above mentioned feed rollers are situated. Between
the two naves of the said castings the said shaft passes through a bearing supporting
a fixed toothed quadrant or segment into which gears a toothed wheel carried by a
pin fixed in the casting and into the said toothed wheel gears a second toothed wheel
carried at the upper end of the casting. The last mentioned toothed wheel is keyed
on, or formed in one with, its axle on each end of which is fixed a finger. In connec-
tion with the before mentioned shaft is arranged a rack and pinion, actuated by any
suitable means, by which it is partially revolved when it is required to bring the
before mentioned finger to act on the bar, slab or bloom as hereinbefore stated, during
the said movement of the shaft an independent rotary movement is imparted to the
finger through the medium of the fixed toothed quadrant or segment and the toothed
wheels.

page_text: In some cases, the form of the before mentioned casting is modified, so that, when
in a certain position, it will form a platform which will serve to prevent short bars,
slabs or blooms from falling between two neighbouring feed rollers. A small roller
is, in some cases, provided instead of the said platform to facilitate the movement of
the bar slab or bloom. Stop or guide plates or blocks are arranged at the sides of
the feed rollers.
In some cases, instead of attaching the last mentioned platform to the casting, it is
separate therefrom and arranged to move therewith, or the platform is fixed and a
suitable opening or slot is made therein for the passage of the casting.
Dated this Thirteenth day of January 1888.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Machinery for Rolling
Metals.
I, HUGO SACK, of 110 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Engineer, 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:
In the process of rolling metal bars, slabs or blooms the sectional area of the same
is reduced by the bars, slabs or blooms being passed successively through different
grooves in the rolls, and this necessitates the moving of the bars, slabs or blooms from
one groove to another which is an exceedingly difficult operation if performed by
hand when the blooms are heavy or the bars large and this invention relates to the
construction and arrangement of mechanism, in connection with a system of rollers
(hereinafter termed the "feed rollers") sunk in the floor, and situated before and
behind the rolling mill, for the purpose of handling and turning the bars, slabs or
blooms in the manner referred to, such mechanism being driven by steam, hydraulic
or other suitable power.
My said invention is applicable to various classes of rolling mills or machinery for
rolling metals and is of special advantage in connection with that class of rolling
mills sometimes termed "cogging" mills through which steel ingots or wrought iron
blooms are first passed in the rolling operation. The improvements are also applicable
to "roughing" or intermediate rolling mills, and, in some cases, also to "finishing"
rolling mills.
My invention comprises an improved arrangement of apparatus,, which I have
described as actuated by hydraulic power but which may be set in motion by any other
suitable power, for acting on the ingots or blooms or masses of metal after each
passage between the rolls so as to turn them and move them or assist in moving
them into the required positions for passing through the successive grooves of
the rolls.
In carrying my invention into effect, I arrange the apparatus upon a shaft B. placed
below the feed rollers A. on which the masses of metal are carried or moved, when
being passed to and from the "cogging" or other rolls.
The shaft B. has its bearings at J. where it is provided with annular bushes or
sleeves. These annular bushes are placed within the plummer blocks L. and wedges
or keys k. are employed to prevent them turning.
The whole apparatus is carried by the girders M. and thus a space is left below in
the pit, which is provided between the frames of the feed rollers for the scale which
falls from the metal under treatment.
The annular bushes J. carry toothed wheels D., whilst boxes or castings C. are
keyed on the shaft B. and enclose all the wheels of the gear thus protecting them from
dust and other deleterious matter.
At the upper part of each box or casting C. and mounted upon the wheel G. is a
finger H. so arranged that it rotates in a positive manner by means of its indirect
connection with the fixed wheel D. whilst the shaft B. oscillates. That is to say, the
tooth wheel G. gears with the tooth wheel E. which is also mounted on the box or
casting C.
The shaft D. is driven by hydraulic power. Two hydraulic rams give motion to

page_text: In
the rack N. which gears with the pinion O. and thus the shaft B. is caused to turn
half a revolution, causing the boxes or castings C. to partially revolve in the open
spaces between the feed rollers A. whilst the fingers H. at the same time rotate.
this way, the apparatus is enabled to turn over the bloom or slab and move it into the
positions necessary for passing through successive grooves of the rolls.
When the bar or bloom is emerging from the mill the apparatus is in the position
shown at figure 1. or at figure 3. according to whether the pass has been made through
the grooves to the right or left hand side of the rolls. It will be seen, that the
manipulating apparatus has disappeared below the general working level and that the
tails or sides of the boxes or castings C. cover the open spaces between the feed rollers
and prevent the possibility of short blooms falling into the pit and at the same time
form a kind of platform which is very useful if the emerging bars should happen to be
bent downwards at their ends as they will then glance off from the beveled tails or
sides of the boxes or castings C.
Figures 3. to 10. represent different positions assumed by the apparatus in work.
I will assume for example that the slab or bloom has just emerged from the fourth
groove of the rolls and is to be inserted into the next one after being turned through
an are of 90º.
The apparatus will then have assumed the position shown by the full lines at
figure 3. having disappeared below the top edge of the rollers A. whilst the bar passed
through the mill. The apparatus is now required to be turned towards the left hand
side and its action will be as follows:-In the position represented by the full lines at
figure 4. the slab or bloom is shifted to the left by the outer edge of the upper part of
the boxes or castings C. until it arrives into the position shown at figure 5. From
this point it now commences to turn so that the slab could be inserted into the last
groove without being turned, as might sometimes be required. Assuming the tilting
motion to be continued a reference to the drawings will show how at figure 5. the
slab is gripped by the finger H. and how by a further movement it is somewhat lifted
from the feed rollers A. as shown by the full lines in figure 6, and turned over
perfectly through an are of 90°, as shown by the full lines in figure 7, and deposited
again on the rollers A. The slab or bloom is not yet, however, in the desired position
but has yet to be moved towards the right hand. For this purpose, the apparatus is
required to turn farther to the left by which movement the finger H. shifts the slab to
the right hand in the manner desired, as shown by the full lines in figure 8. Eventually
it arrives into the position shown by the full lines in figure 9. from which the pass
can be made through the fifth groove of the rolls. In turning the apparatus farther
to the left it will again disappear below the general level and if the half turn of the
apparatus is finished the outline corners of the fingers H. will have passed through
the curves indicated by the dotted lines in figure 3.
With regard to the grooves on the right hand side of the rolls, the apparatus
acts in the same manner as will be seen from the dotted positions of the finger H.
in figures 3. to 10. which will indicate how and in what manner the apparatus
acts with respect to the other side of the rolls. Suppose for example the slab
bloom or ingot is to be inserted into the first groove, but in carrying it to the mill it
has not arrived in the required position and is lying obliqely upon the feed rollers.
The apparatus which was before in the position indicated by the dotted lines of
figure 3. is then to be brought into that shown by the dotted lines figure 4.
Obviously after this operation the ingot has been moved before the first groove
and is prepared for passing through it.
.
If the ingot is required to be moved or tilted farther the apparatus must be
turned farther to the right hand passing through the positions of figures 5. to 8.
which action performs the turning over of the ingot and seis it down before the
first groove.
In order to move the bar or ingot to the second groove the apparatus must be
moved again farther to the right hand till it arrives in the dotted line position, of
figure 10. In the dotted lines of figure 9. it is clearly to be seen how, in this part
of the motion of the apparatus, the bar. is shifted to the left hand.

page_text: In order to bring a bar before the third groove after having turned it and placed it in
position before the second groove as lastly described the apparatus is reversed and
moved to the left hand and soon the bar is gripped by the upper ends of the boxes
or castings C. and pushed from the second to the third, or, if desired, farther till it
arrives even before the last groove.
•
Having arrived there the bar can be turned over again and brought into any
other desired position.
Obviously if a bloom after being turned has accidentally tipped over again onto
the wrong side which may very easily happen if the blooms have fins thereon, or,
if this accident has occurred from any other cause, I am enabled to overcome any
difficulties arising therefrom, by bringing the bar at once to the other side where.
it is turned over again, which process could be continued until the bar is placed
in the desired position before the rolls.
'
It will thus be seen that I am not obliged to make successive passes in successive
grooves, as is the case with the rolls shown as an example in the accompanying
drawings, where the third groove is intended for slabs whilst the fourth is successive
to the second groove if thinner blooms of rectangular form are to be rolled
Another advantage of my invention is that it is applicable to bars of great
length; there is no difficulty in extending the shaft B. and other parts to any
desired dimensions.
It sometimes happens however that long bars, rails and similar forms become
crooked or askew in the process of rolling and to meet this difficulty angular
abutments K. are fixed on the working level (see figure 5.) and. the bars are pressed
against them, before they are turned over; having thus become straightened they
can be turned over without difficulty.
For manipulating bars of flat section a tool is provided which is suspended by a
chain in a central position before tho rolls and is furnished with a long handle so that
it may be managed by the operator. If a bar of this section is standing on edge, as
represented at figuro 7, it is retained in this position by gripping it with the said tool
and it is thus prevented from accidentally turning over.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
In combination with machinery for rolling metals, an apparatus for turning over
and moving the blooms, bars or inetal masses, all in manner substantially as herein
shown and described.
In combination with machinery for rolling metals, an apparatus, for turning over
or moving the blooms, bars or metal masses, consisting of a shaft B., arranged below
the feed rollers A., receiving motion from hydraulic rams or other source of power
and having boxes or castings C. fixed thereon and capable of revolving or oscillating
in the open spaces between the feed rollers A. and shifting the metal from one side
to the other, whilst fingers H., carried by the upper ends of the boxes or castings C.
and receiving motion during the revolution or oscillation of the. shaft B. through a
fixed toothed wheel D. around which revolve wheels E. and G., lift and turn over the
metal, all in manner substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
1000
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.