IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR REDUCING RAILROAD RAILS
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1889
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
I, SIDNEY MCCLOUD, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, United States of America,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR REDUCING RAILROAD RAILS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-
:
My present invention has relation to that class of machines designed more
especially for reducing railroad rails, (particularly old steel rails) to plates or
blanks.
As in the ordinary form of railroad rails, the head portion of the rail contains
considerably more metal than the flange portion, it is found that during the operation
of reducing such rails to plates, there is a tendency of the partially reduced rail to
pass from the rolls in a somewhat curved shape. This is due in part to the fact that
as the excess metal of the head portion of the rail is compressed, it is apt to be
extended in the direction of the length of the rail to a greater extent than is the
metal in the flange portion of the rail, and is due to the further fact that if there be
any variation or irregularity in the diameter of the rolls, or their setting, there is a
tendency on the part of the rail to turn upward as it leaves the rolls. The object of
my present invention is to provide novel mechanism whereby the rails may be directed
with certainty between the rolls and may be so securely held during the reducing
operation that all danger of their passing from the rolls in curved form will be
avoided. To this end my invention consists in the novel features of construction
hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly
defined in the claims at the end of this specification.
Figure 1 is a front view of a machine having my present improvements applied
thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical transverse section on line - of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view of the machine in rear elevation. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail front
view of the delivery guide for the first pass. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the delivery
guide shown in Fig. 4.
The rolls A, B, and C illustrated in the annexed drawings, are of such shape that
there are five passes given to the rail during the reducing operation in addition to
the usual flat passes. The portions of the rolls at which these five passes occur are
designated respectively by the letters P, Q, R, S and T, the flat passes occurring
between the portions of the rolls A¹, B and C. In front of that portion P of the
rolls B and C by which the first pass of the rails is effected, is placed the delivery
guide D, and at the rear side of such rolls in corresponding position, is placed the
receiving guide D₁; and in like manner for effecting the pass at Q, are placed the
delivery and receiving guides E and E, and at the pass R, the delivery and
receiving guides F and F¹, at the pass S, the delivery and receiving guides G and G³,

page_text: and at the pass T, the delivery and receiving guides H and H. The several delivery
guides D, F, and H are mounted upon the transverse beam or bar I, that extends
across the front of the lower roll C, and is suitably sustained by posts or pillars
(not shown) in well-known manner, and the receiving guides D', and H' are in
like manner mounted upon a transverse beam or bar I', suitably sustained at the
opposite side of the roll C. So, also, the delivery guides E and G are mounted
upon the transverse beam or bar K extending across the back of the roll B, and the
receiving guides E' and 'G₁ are mounted upon the transverse beam or bar K' that
extends across the front of the roll B.
The delivery guide D is shown as composed of two castings, the bases and d¹ of
which are bolted to the tranverse bar I, although if desired, this guide may be formed
in single piece, my purpose in forming it of two parts being merely for convenience
of construction. The guide D, when its two sections are set together for use, com-
prises a box or trough having inwardly converging sides d¹ and d and a central
rib d³, preferably cast in piece with the bottom plate of the section d of the guide,
and by preference also of reduced size from back to front, as more particularly shown
in Fig. 4 of the drawings. My object in forming the guide D with the expanded
front portion and with its sides inwardly converging, and in forming the central
rib 3 of this guide of reduced size at its front end, is to facilitate the introduction
of the rail into the guide. At its rear end the central rib d³ of the guide is expanded
to a size by preference approximately equal to the space between the head and flange
of the rail to be reduced, and the upper face of this rib d³ at its rear end is about
on a line with the periphery of the roll C. Hence it will be seen that when the rail
to be reduced has been placed within the guide D, it will rest upon the rib d³, and the
rear portion of this rib will firmly bear against the under side of the head of the rail
so as to securely hold the rail as it is subjected to the reducing action of the rolls
in making the first pass. The receiving guide D¹ is shown as formed of the
separate castings d and do, the bottom plates of which are bolted to the transverse
beam or bar I, although if desired these parts of the receiving guide may be formed
in single piece. The side walls d' and d of the receiving guide D¹ are preferably
parallel and upon these side walls rests the top plate or cover d³, that is held in place
by means of bolts 2 that set within slots 3 in the side walls d' and d³, and pass
through suitable holes in the cover do that is held in place by the nuts 3. Upon the
under face of the cover do is preferably formed flanges do to embrace the upper edges
of the side walls d' of the guide, and upon the under face of this cover is also
formed the rib d" that extends from front to back thereof in such position as to enter
the space between the partially compressed flange and head portions of the rail.
purpose of this rib d is to bear against the inner side of the partially-compressed
rail-head, and assist in counteracting any tendency of the rail to curve in lateral
direction. It will be observed that the inner end of the top plate or cover d
extends into close proximity to the roll B, and is bevelled to conform to the periphery
of the roll, the-purpose of this construction being to enable the top plate or cover d
to act not merely as an upper guide bar to overcome any tendency of the partially-
reduced rail to curve in upward direction, but as well also to keep the periphery of
the roll B at such point clean from scales or scraps. My purpose in forming the
top plate or cover do separate from the side walls d' and d is to enable this cover
to be readily removed in case any fragments of metal should accumulate at the
inner end of the receiving guide, and avoid the necessity of displacing the entire
guide to remove such accumulation. Upon the bottom plates of the sections of the
receiving guide D' and between the side walls are preferably placed wrought iron
bars 4 and 5, upon which will bear respectively the head and flange portion of the
rails as they pass from the rolls, these bars being by preference set within channels
formed in the bottom plates and being provided with lugs 7 that enter corresponding
seats in such plates and serve to guard the bars against displacement. From the
construction as thus far defined, it will be seen that as the rail to be reduced makes
its first pass between the rolls, it is securely held against curving upward by the top
plate or cover d and against curving in lateral direction by the central rib d³ of the
The

page_text: delivery guide and by the rib d¹ of the receiving guide, each of these ribs bearing
against the head portion of the rail where the metal is of such thickness that any
tendency to curve can be with certainty resisted. It is plain also that by thus pro-
viding guide mechanism to bear against the head-portion of the rail during its passage
through the rolls, a much more secure resistance to lateral curvature is secured than
would be possible if the resistance were offered merely upon the flange of the rail,
since, as will be seen by Fig. 3, the flange is partially bent during its passage through
the rolls, and if the guide bore simply against this flange, the lateral pressure
incident to any unequal compression and extensions of the metal would be so great
as to straighten the partially bent flange and allow the rail to pass from the rolls in
slightly curved shape.
The delivery guide E, opposite that part of the rolls through which the second
pass of the rail occurs, has its lower portion by preference formed of separate parts,
the side walls e and e¹ of this delivery guide converging from front to back and being
provided with a central rib e² of tapering contour, similar to the central rib 3 of the
delivery guide D, and adapted to bear in like manner against the partially compressed
head of the rail. This delivery guide E is, however, provided with a top plate or
cover e³ that rests upon the side walls e. and e¹ of the guide, and is bolted thereto in
the same manner as the cover do is bolted to the side walls of the receiving guide D.
The under face of this cover is provided by preference with a rib e that extends
from front to back of the cover in position to project between the head and flanged
portions of the rails, and bear upon the partially-compressed head as it is delivered to
the rolls. The receiving guide Eis similar in construction to the receiving guide D¹,
the dimension of the parts being modified to correspond with the change in the shape
of the rail incident to its partial compression. In this guide, as in the receiving
guide D', the cover e is provided with a rib e that extends within the space
between the partially-compressed head and flanged portions of the rail, and aids in
guarding the rail against tendency to curve in lateral direction.
The delivery guide F is similar in construction to the delivery guide E, last
described, the precise dimension of this guide and its ribs being simply modified, as
shown, to correspond with the change in the form of the rail incident to its further
reduction. The receiving guide F has its lower portion similar in construction to
the corresponding part of the receiving guide E, but the top plate of the receiving
guide E is provided preferably with two parallel ribs and extending from end
to end thereof, and adapted to enter the grooves formed in the head and flanged
portions of the rail during the corresponding pass R of the rolls.
The delivery guide G opposite that portion of the rolls through which the fourth
pass of the rail occurs, has its lower portion preferably formed of two parts converging
from front to rear, and has its top plate or cover g bolted thereto in the same manner
as the top plates or covers of the guides herein before described. In this delivery
guide, however, the bottom plate g¹ of the guide is not provided with a central rib
since by the time. the fourth pass made, the rail has assumed such form that the web
or body portion of the rail is flush with the bottom plate of the guide. The top plate
or cover g of this delivery guide is provided, however, with a central rib g that enters
the space between the compressed head and flanged portion of the rail, and serves to
accurately guide the rail to the rolls, and aid in preventing any tendency of the rail
to curve in lateral direction. The receiving guide G' is similar in construction to the
receiving guides D' and E' above described, the ribs upon the bottom plate and upon
the top plate or cover of this receiving guide being modified to conform to the changed
shape of the rail; but in this construction, as in the receiving guides D' and E', the
top plate g is provided with a central rib gs, that enters the space between the com-
pressed head and flanged portions of the rail, and aids in preventing any tendency to
curve in lateral direction. The delivery guide H through which the fifth pass of the
rail is effected, has its lower portion formed with converging bottom and top and side
walls similar to the delivery guides already described, but in this construction, the
lower portion of the guide is shown as formed as a single casting with the top plate
bolted thereto in a manner similar to the top plates of the guides already describe

page_text: -
The under side of the top plate of the receiving guide H¹ is by preference provided
with a central ribh adapted to enter the space between the metal formed from the
head and flanged portions of the rail, but it is obvious that since the rail when it
reaches the fifth pass is of almost uniform thickness, there does not exist the same
necessity for the use of a central guide as in the prior passes of the rail. The rib h,
however, will serve as an aid in guiding the rail with accuracy between the rolls and
will aid in preventing any lateral movement of the rail as it passes therefrom. The
receiving guide H¹ has its lower portion similar to the corresponding part of the
receiving guide G¹, and in this guide H', the top plate is flat upon its under side,
since the blank, after it has made the fifth pass through the roll is of uniform thickness
and very nearly flat.
After the blank has left the fifth pass.it will receive one or more final passes through
the flat portions A, B and C of the rolls.
It will be readily understood that the precise details of construction of the guide-
mechanism above described, may be varied, without departing from the spirit of
my invention, and that certain features of the invention may be employed without
its adoption as an entirety. To such details therefor, I do not wish my claims to be
understood as restricted.
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 what
I claim is :
1. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a delivery
guide having a rib adapted to bear upon the under side of the head portion of the
rail, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a delivery
guide having a rib adapted to bear upon the under side of the head portion of the
rail, said rib being of tapering shape from back to front, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a delivery
guide having side walls converging from front to back and having a central rib
adapted to bear upon the under side of the head-portion of the rail and tapering
from back to front, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a delivery
guide, the top and bottom plates of which are provided with ribs or elevations
adapted to bear upon the under side of the head-portion of the rail, substantially
as described.
5. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a delivery
guide, having a rib for bearing upon the underside of the head-portion of the rail, and
a receiving guide having a rib for bearing against the head portion of the rail upon
the opposite side of the rail, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a receiving
guide, having a rib arranged to extend into the space between the head and
flange portions of the rails as it passes through the rolls, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a receiving
guide having a top plate extending in proximity to the periphery of the rolls,
substantially as described.
8. The combination with a set of rolls for reducing railroad rails, of a guide
having a removable cover, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of January 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.