IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING IRON OR OTHER METALS
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Napier at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th September
1861.
I, JOHN NAPIER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING IRON OR OTHER METALS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in the arrangement of the
machinery employed for rolling plates, bars, or other forms of iron or other
metal, so as to produce a plate, bar, or other form in a finished state from the
slab, bloom, or pile, in less time and whilst the metal is nearer a welding heat
than by the means at present employed for this purpose, by which arrange-
ment plates, bars, angle and other forms of iron or other metal can be made
in longer lengths with greater facility than heretofore.
For the purpose of carrying out my Invention, I arrange two or more pairs
of rolls at suitable distances apart from one another, in such manner that the
piece or pile of iron or other metal to be operated upon shall pass straight
onward through any requisite number of pairs of rolls placed in succession,
and all in or about the same line or direction, the first pair being like the

page_text: ordinary roughing rolls, and the last pair suitable for bringing the plate, bar,
or other form of metal down to the finished or required size. Each of these
different pairs of rolls are driven separately by means of separate steam
engines, or other motive power, each being separately governed and regulated
to suit the speed of each pair of rolls thus driven, so that in the process of
rolling, the plate or bar whilst being rolled may be passing through one, two,
or moro pairs of rolls at the same time, the speed of each pair of rolls being
such as is necessary to compensate for the extension or elongation of the plate
or bar as it passes from one pair of rolls to another. Instead of using separato
steam engines or other motive power to each pair of rolls, one or more only of
such engines or pairs of engines coupled together may be employed, suitablo
gearing being employed to bring up the speed of each pair of rolls to about
the calculated rate required, and by the use in addition of conical drums and
belts to vary it to the proper velocity necessary for each pair of rolls, which
velocity will be readily ascertained by practice. The regulation of the speed
of each pair of rolls separately is so arranged as to bo completely under the
control of the attendants.
To allow as much as possible scorice or gases that may be lodged in the
heart of the mass or pile of metal under operation to escape, it is also part of
my Invention in the manufacture of broad slabs or plates to make either the
upper or under roll, or both of the first pair in the foregoing arrangement, of
larger diameter about the middle of their length than at their ends, so that
when a bloom, slab, or pile is put through, it is compressed most near the
centre of its breadth. The second pair will not require to have such a
difference between the diameter of the middle and ends, the third pair (if not
the finishing rolls) having less still, and so on to the last pair of rolls, which
are formed to bring the slab, plate, or bar to the required size and shape. By
this arrangement the scorio, gases, or other extraneous matters that do not
combine with the iron or other metal may be expelled from the slab, plate, or
bar whilst the metal is at or near the welding point, and thereby blistering or
other unsoundness in the plate, bar, or other manufactured article is more
effectually got rid of.
Another part of my Invention consists in employing in combination with
the foregoing arrangements of rolls the use of other rolls working with their
axles perpendicular, or placed at such an angle as may be found most suitable
These
for the rolling of iron or other metal of peculiar shape or form.
perpendicular or angled rolls may be placed between any of the series of rolls,
or after the last pair of rolls, and they may be driven by gearing, or if little

page_text: compressing strain is put upon them, they may be left to revolve by the
simple passing of the piece of metal operated upon through and between
them.
The foregoing arrangements of rolls would answer well for the manufacture
of very long armour plates, railway bars, angle or other forms of iron, or plates
of metal.