Pinion Housings for Rolling Mills.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1888
Pinion Housings for Rolling Mills.
I, JOHN WILLIAM SCHOFIELD, of Alton House, Nether Edge, Sheffield in the
County of York, Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF ROLL AND PINION
HOUSINGS FOR ROLLING MILLS, to be as follows :-
A Housing is a standard usually made in Cast Metal, which carries the bearings in
which the necks of the Rolls or Pinions revolve.
In a roll Housing the bearings for the Rolls are carried on adjustable chocks, the
upper part of the Housings being fitted with powerful screws working in screw boxes
or nuts, by means of which the distance between the centres of the rolls is regulated
and the pressure on the material passing between the Rolls may thereby be increased
or diminished as circumstances may require; roll housings are therefore at times
subjected to enormous strains, to meet which, they are necessarily constructed of
great strength, and as Cast Iron is the material most generally employed, the requisite
strength can only be obtained by giving the framing a large sectional area
throughout.
Pinion Housings have a somewhat similar construction and arrangement to that of
Roll Housings, but as they are not subjected to quite such heavy strains, their size
and strength are relatively somewhat modified, they have nevertheless to be made of
considerable strength, which involves in their construction as in Roll Housings, large
sectional areas, the consequences in both cases being the employment of a great weight
of material in their construction. Notwithstanding the massive nature of construction
herein described, the breakage of both Roll and Pinion Housings is a
occurrence, and in some classes of Mills such as Sheet Mills, the strain on which is
probably higher than any other class of Mills, the breakage of Roll Housings is of
frequent occurrence, involving considerable cost in renewals and repairs.
common
With a view of obviating these defects, in some cases, Cast Steel has been employed
in the construction of Roll and Pinion Housings, but the price of Cast Steel being so

page_text: much greater than that of Cast Iron, the use of this material has not been generally
adopted.
The object of my Invention is to overcome these objections, by constructing Roll
and Pinion Housings in Steel in such a manner as to bring their first cost more nearly
approximating to that of Housings made by the old process in Cast Iron.
The tenacity of Cast Steel such as I employ being so much greater than that of
Cast Iron, I am able by a judicious distribution of the material to effect the object of
iny Invention by so constructing the Housings as to obtain a considerable reduction
in weight and at the same time preserve a sufficient margin of strength in excess of
that obtainable in Housings constructed in Cast Iron.
To do this I cast the Housings hollow, and by employing Cores, I am able to
regulate the thickness and distribute the material in the frame of the Housing, so as
to preserve a sectional area sufficient to give the necessary margin of strength
required, and I effect this without of necessity altering the external dimensions or
configuration of the Housings.
I am aware that the hollowing or coring out of Castings in both Cast Iron, Cast
Steel and other metals is in common use but to the best of my knowledge and belief
Housings for Rolls and Pinions whether made in Cast Iron or in Cast Steel have
hitherto been made solid, that is to say they have not been hollowed or cored out
internally with a view of obtaining a reduction in their weight.
The essential and primary object of my Invention is to construct and manufacture
Roll and Pinion Housings in Cast Steel, hollowed or lightened out with cores, so as to
materially reduce their weight and first cost.
Dated th: 2-1 1
1007
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Roll and
Pinion Housings for Rolling Mills.
I JOHN WILLIAM SCHOFIELD of Alton House Nether Edge, Sheffield, in the County
of York, Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF ROLL AND PINION HOUSINGS
FOR ROLLING MILLS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statements :-
A Housing is a standard usually made in Cast Metal, which carries the bearings in
which the necks of the Rolls or Pinions revolve.
In a roll housing, the bearings for the rolls are carried on adjustable chocks, the
upper part of the housings being fitted with powerful screws working in screw boxes
or nuts, by means of which the distance between the centres of the rolls is regulated
and the pressure on the material passing between the rolls may thereby be increased
or diminished as circumstances may require; roll housings are therefore at times,
subjected to enormous strains, to meet which, they are necessarily constructed of
great strength, and as Cast Iron is the material tnost generally employed, the
requisite strength can only be obtained by giving the framing a large sectional area
throughout.
Pinion housings have a somewhat similar construction and arrangement to that of
roll housings, but as they are not subjected to quite such heavy strains, their size and
strength are relatively somewhat modified, they have nevertheless to be made of con-
siderable strength which involves in their construction as in roll housings large
sectional areas, the consequences in both cases being, the employment of a great weight
of material in their construction. Notwithstanding the massive nature of construction
herein described, the breakage of both roll and pinion housings is a common
occurrence and in some classes of Mills such as Sheet Mills, the strain on which is
probably higher than any other class of Mills, the breakage of roll housings is of
frequent occurrence involving considerable cost in renewals and repairs.
With a view of obviating these defects, in some cases, cast steel has been employed
in the construction of roll and pinion housings, but the price of cast steel being so
much greater than that of cast iron, the use of this material has not been generally
adopted.
The object of my Invention is to overcome these objections by constructing roll and
pinion housings in steel in such a manner, as to bring their first cost more nearly
approximating to that of Housings made by the old process in cast iron.
The tenacity of cast steel such as I employ being so much greater than that of cast
iron, I am able by a judicious distribution of the material, to effect the object of my
Invention by so constructing the housings as to obtain a considerable reduction in
weight and at the same time preserve a sufficient margin of strength in excess of that
obtainable in Housings constructed in Cast Iron.
To do this I cast the housings hollow and by employing cores I am able to regulate
the thickness and distribute the material in the frame of the housing so as to preserve
a sectional area sufficient to give the necessary margin of strength required and I
effect this without of necessity altering the external dimensions or configuration of
the housing.

page_text: I am aware that the hollowing or coring out of castings in both cast iron, cast steel
and other metals is in common use but to the best of my knowledge and belief
housings for rolls and pinions whether made in Cast iron or in Cast steel, have hitherto
been made solid, that is to say they have not been hollowed or cored out internally,
with a view of obtaining a reduction in their weight.
The essential and primary object of my Invention is to construct and manufacture
roll and pinion housings in cast Steel hollowed or lightened out with cores, so as to
materially reduce their weight and first cost.
The nature of my Invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings in which
Fig. 1. is the front elevation of a Roll Housing.
Fig. 2. is an end elevation of the same.
Fig. 3. being a longitudinal section through the line A B and
Fig. 4. being a transverse section through the line C. D. the shade lines in the
last named sections representing the thickness of the metal.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict mysef to the relative thicknesses
of the metal here shewn as compared with the size and proportions of the Housing
illustrated, the form and external appearance of Roll Housings although similar in
their general characteristics vary somewhat in matters of detail which in some cases
would necessitate some modification of the thicknesses and distribution of metal and
hollowered or cored spaces; the same remarks will apply to Pinion Housings, and the
illustrations here given for a Roll Housing will be sufficient to illustrate the principle
of my Invention which as already stated is equally applicable in either case.
I lay no claim for the hollowing or lightening of Roll or Pinion Housings by any
external depressions of the surface as is shewn at a, a, such depressions being pro-
vided in most roll Housings as at present constructed and for the purpose of
accomodating certain appurtenant fittings generally used in connection with such
Housings.
Neither do I claim the lightening of Roll or Pinion Housings by the introduction
of Holes, slots or openings arranged as illustrated at 66 in the accompanying sheet
of Drawings, the particular holes shewn in the illustrations however being formed and
provided for Bolts or stays, and I name this as it might appear that an extension of a
number of such holes, slots or depressions might be utilized as the means of lightening
a Housing, the opening c is the space within which the necks of the Rolls are
carried, the recess d is formed for the Chocks or brasses in which the neck of the
bottom roll revolves, and the orifice, e e is formed for the reception of the box or nut
in which the Housing screw is fitted, and are common in Housings as at present
constructed.
The hollowed or cored spaces formed by my improved mode of construction are
represented by the letters f
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. Improvements in the construction and Manufacture of Roll and Pinion Housings
for Rolling Mills, cast in Steel, by casting them hollow & lightening them out by
means of cores or their equivalents, so as to materially reduce their weight and first
cost, substantially, as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated.
012 1
T
1000
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.