Thickness and in Machinery therefor.
Year: 1885

page_text: Thickness and in Machinery therefor.
I PETER KIRK of Bankfield Workington in the County of Cumberland Iron and
Steel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature. of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROLLING OF BARS OR PLATES OF IRREGULAR THICKNESS
AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates more particularly to the production of steel or iron sleepers
for use in supporting and retaining in position the rails of permanent way and has
for its principal object to produce sleepers having thick places or parts from which
chair or rail holding jaws can be formed by cutting and pressing or shaping or to
which such chairs or jaws can be attached as for example the said sleepers can be
used in the carrying into effect of former inventions for which I made applications
for the grant of Letters Patent on the twenty-second day of November 1884 and
the twentieth day of January 1885. In the production of the said sleepers I employ
vibrating or rocking rolls or segmental rolls which are recessed or shaped to form
the thicker parts upon the sleepers. I prefer to actuate these rolls by hydraulic
power in order to obtain a suitable control over the movements of the rolls so that
they can be quickly stopped and started at any time during the operation. The
bars or plates are first rolled by means of ordinary or suitable machinery into
forms suitable for the operation of the vibrating rolls. I roll the bar with a band
or swell which extends in the direction of the length of the bar and is of greater
substance than the parts of the bar which are on each side of the band. This
band may not be clearly defined but may consist of a longitudinal swell on one
side or on each side of the bar which swell may die out at each side to the thick-
ness of the rest of the bar. I do not confine myself to the use of this formation of
bar. The two ends of the bar of the said formation or of a suitable formation are
alternately entered between the rolls. The bar is rolled for about half of its
length or more from the entered end and the rolls are then stopped and reversed
and the other end is entered. By this method of operating I am enabled to
produce the patches or thicker parts at regular and equal distances from the two
ends of the sleeper. The rolls are at all times stopped for the entry of the bar in
the same positions so that when the bar is pushed up to the rolls and they are
atarted the thicker part will be formed in the right place. When the bar has been

page_text: passed as far as advisable in a forward direction the rolls are reversed and the bar
is returned. Before this reversal or re-starting in a reverse direction I
set up
may
the rolls so as to obtain a second draw or reduction. To enable me to control the
rolling down or to regulate the length of the intermediate part between the
thicker patches I form flats or relieving recesses on the rolls or on one of them
so that the bar is released and may be shifted but I do not confine myself to this.
I may complete the rolling down of the sleeper or of the said intermediate part in
other rolls. When using hydraulic power to work the rolls I impart motion to the
rolls by means of a spur rack which is connected with a hydraulic piston or ram
but I may use any suitable means for actuating the rolls. The method of rolling
or the means employed may be adopted in the production of metal bars plates or
appliances other than sleepers.

page_text: Improvements in the Rolling of Bars or Plates of Irregular
Thickness and in Machinery therefor.
I PETER KIRK of Bankfield Workington in the County of Cumberland Iron
and Steel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROLLING OF BARS OR PLATES OF IRREGULAR THICKNESS
AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR," and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying drawings:-
My Invention relates more particularly to the production of steel or iron sleepers
for use in supporting and retaining in position the rails of permanent way and has
for its principal object to produce sleepers having thick places or parts from which
chair or rail holding jaws can be formed by cutting and pressing or shaping or to
which such chairs or jaws can be attached as for example the said sleeper can be
used in the carrying into effect of former inventions for which I made applications
for the grant of Letters Patent on the 22nd day of November 1884 and on the
twentieth day of January 1885. In the production of the said sleepers I employ
vibrating or rocking rolls or segmental rolls which are recessed or shaped to form
the thicker parts upon the sleepers. I prefer to actuate these rolls by hydraulic
power in order to obtain a suitable control over the movements of the rolls so that
they can be quickly stopped and started at any time during the operation.
In order that my Invention may be well understood I will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying two sheets of drawings. In sheet 1 of the said
drawings Fig. 1 represents a Vertical Cross Section taken at about the centre of the
length of a mill constructed in accordance with my Invention. Fig. 2 is a front
Elevation of the centre housings which contain the driving gearing and includes
one of the four pairs of vibrating rolls with which the mill is supposed to be
provided. Fig. 3 represents a Vertical Cross Section of one of the said pairs of rolls
Fig. 4 in Sheet 2 represents a Ground plan view of part of the complete mill two of
the four pairs of rolls being left out for want of space. In this view the line A. B.
represents the line of section for Fig. 1. In the example selected for illustration
four pairs of rolls are arranged to act in unison. In Fig. 4 two of the pairs of
rolls are represented at C. D. The other two pairs would be mounted on the other
side of the central housings E. for the driving gear. Fig. 5 represents a Cross
Section of one of the rolls which in the example would be the bottom roll of a pair
the said Fig. being drawn to a larger scale than the other Figs. The said roll is
formed with two recesses e. and f. The recess e. is intended to produce or leave
the thicker patch or place upon the article being rolled which for convenience of
description I will assume to be a steel railway sleeper. The recess or space f. is a
clearing space and will be referred to hereinafter. If the patch or increased
thickness is to be formed on one side of the plate only, one of the rolls in a pair
may be formed without recesses or only with a clearing recess but if the plate is to
have patches on both sides both rolls must be suitably recessed the shapes and
proportions of the recesses in any case being made suitable to the sizes and shapes

page_text: of the patches which are required to be formed upon the sleepers. The pairs of
rolls are mounted in suitable housings and are geared together as is usual. In the
central housings are mounted the driving shafts g. h. which are geared together by
means of the spur wheels i. j. which in the example are formed in one piece with
the said shafts. The said shafts are coupled right and left with the shafts of the
rolls which are mounted on each side of the central housings as hereinbefore
mentioned. The couplings which are of an ordinary character do not appear in
the drawings. With the lower spur wheel j. gears a strong spur rack k. which
rests upon two supporting wheels 1. 1. which are mounted to revolve below the
wheel j. and serve to keep the teeth of the rack in gear with the teeth of the
last named wheel. One end k¹ of the said rack is secured to the outer end of
the piston rod of a piston m which is fitted to work within a hydraulic cylinder n
The end of the said rack is formed with projecting wings which are planed or
adapted to slide in ways in the manner of the crosshead of a steam engine. When
fluid pressure is admitted to one side or the other of the piston m. the rack is
forced to move in a straight line in a direction at right-angles to the axis of the
wheel j. whereby the said wheel is caused to revolve in one direction or the other
according to the direction of movement of the said piston. Suitable arrange-
ments are made for admitting the fluid pressure to one side or the other of the
piston as required so that the whole of the rolls in the mill can be caused to vibrate
that is to say to rotate first in one direction and then in the other. It will be seen
that by moving the rack back to the same point determined by adjustable stops or
by the range of movement of the cross head k¹ within its slides the rolls are stopped
at the withdrawal of the plate with the spaces in the same positions so that the plates
being entered at the proper times the patches will be formed at suitably uniform
distances from the ends of the sleepers. To enter the plates I prefer to employ the
self-acting trolleys o. o. Each of these trolleys is connected by means of links p.
with lever arms r. which are fixed upon a rocking shaft 8. A levert upon one
end of the said rocking shaft is connected by means of a rod u with an excentric v.
which is fixed upon the shaft of the bottom roll in the end pair. It will be seen
that as the rolls vibrate the trolleys are moved to and fro in unison. The plate is
held upon the trolley by means of clamping levers w. which are pressed down upon
the plate by acting upon the hand lever x. The hydraulic cylinder y. seen in
Fig. 3 is intended to work shears for cutting off the plate ends when desirable.
This part of the apparatus may be dispensed with in cases wherein it is not
considered to be necessary. The bars or plates are first rolled by means of ordinary
or suitable machinery into forms suitable for the operation of the vibrating rolls.
I find it suitable to roll the bar with a band or swell which extends in the direction
of the length of the bar and is of greater substance than the parts of the bar
which are on each side of the band. This band may not be clearly defined but
may consist of a longitudinal swell on one side or on each side of the bar which
swell may die out at each side to the thickness of the rest of the bar. I do not
confine myself to the use of this formation of bar. The two ends of the bar of the
said formation or of a suitable formation are alternately entered between the rolls.
The bar is rolled for about half of its length or more from the entered end and
the rolls are then stopped and reversed and the other end is entered. By this
method of operating I am enabled to produce the patches or thicker parts at
regular and equal distances from the two ends of the sleeper. The rolls being at
all times stopped for the entry of the bar in the same positions as herein before
mentioned when the bar is pushed up to the rolls and they are started the thicker
part will be formed in the right place. When the bar has been passed as far as
advisable in a forward direction the rolls are reversed and the bar is returned.
Before this reversal or re-starting in a reverse direction I may set up the rolls Bo
as to obtain a second draw or reduction. When the self-acting trolleys o. are
employed the plate in each case is placed upon the trolley with the end pushed
up to the rolls. When the rolls are set in motion the trolley is moved toward
the rolls and the plate is taken in the concerted action of the rolls and_trolley

page_text: facilitating the obtaining of the patches in the required positions. The object in
forming the clearing space f. is to enable the plate to be shifted so that the
operation of rolling may be controlled or so that the length of the intermediate
part of the sleeper between the patches may be regulated by rolling the same
down. By continuing the movement of the rolls in the same direction after the
formation of the patch the clearing space coming round clears the plate so that it
can be shifted and manoeuvred as required to roll down the central or intermediate
portion or if advisable the plate may be withdrawn and be entered at the back of
the rolls that is to say at the other side of the mill I do not however confine
myself to the formation of the rolls with these clearing spaces as they might not
be required in all cases. I may complete the rolling down of the sleeper or of the
said intermediate part in other rolls not adapted to form the patches. I do not
confine myself to the use of my invention in the formation of sleepers nor to the
use of hydraulic power in the actuation of the rolls and may use any suitable
means for giving movement thereto nor do I confine myself to the precise method
of applying the hydraulic power nor to the number of sets of rolls in the complete
mill nor to any particular form of roll so long as it is recessed and so long as the
rolls in a pair are arranged to vibrate to and fro upon their axea
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 ;
1. The combination of parts forming the mill for producing patches or thickened
places in metal plates or bars substantially as set forth and indicated herein before
and by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a mill for rolling or forming patches or thicker places in railway sleepers
or in metal plates or bars the recessed rolls caused to vibrate to and fro upon their
axes so that the plate is drawn in a distance the patch or patches is or are formed
and the plate is returned by a reverse movement of the rolls substantially as set
forth,
3. In the formation of patches or thicker places upon plates for metal sleepers
subjecting the plates to the action of vibrating recessed rolls in the manner
substantially as set forth.
4. A mill provided with recessed rolls which are actuated by hydraulic power
so as to have a to and fro vibrating motion substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and indicated.
5. A mill provided with rolls of irregular formation actuated so as to vibrate
upon their axes for use in the production of metal bars or plates of thickness
varying in the direction of their progress through the rolls.
DUTTON & FULTON,
Agents,