IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED IN ROLLING TAPER IRON AND OTHER METALS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: We THOMAS KEEN of The District Iron and Steel Works Smethwick in the
County of Stafford Iron Master and WILLIAM BEASLEY of Smethwick aforesaid
Manager of Works do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED IN ROLLING
TAPER IRON
AND OTHER METALS to be as follows:-
"
"
"
Our Invention consists in rolling and finishing metallic bars rods strips strands
plates and other descriptions of iron steel and other metals having a longitudinal
taper figure that is to say, iron, steel, and other metals described having a
progressing or diminishing width or thickness.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the manufacture of a taper bar or
rod rectangular in cross section.
Two horizontal rolls situated one above the other and working in bearings or
housings of the ordinary kind are driven from the lower roll. The upper roll is
of large diameter, while the lower roll is of much smaller diameter The top or
large roll has a series of increasing eccentric or progressively cut grooves or channels
through which the iron is alternately passed for the production of the taper
required in the bar.
"
The lower or smaller roll is provided with concentric grooves or channels
corresponding in position to the excentric grooves in the upper roll it has also a
concentric flattening or slabbing groove through which the bar of iron is alternately
passed for flattening after each successive width tapering.-The plain periphery of
the said lower roll meets the plain periphery of the upper or larger roll thereby
giving the requisite motion thereto-In consequence of the upper roll being of less
length than the lower roll, space between the ends of the rolls and housings for
the returning of the bar from back to front after each successive passage is
obtained-Collars on the lower roll embrace the edges of the upper roll and above
these collars, the aforesaid spaces or gaps are situated through which the iron is
alternately passed for rerolling.
Mounted upon the axis or trunnion of the upper roll a cam is situated, the
function of which is to determine the relative position of the upper roll or the
exact time when the bar or rod shall be introduced into the eye or eyes of the rolls,
this is effected by means of the cam acting on the free end of a compound lever
•

page_text: which presents and removes at the proper time, a mask or shield from in front of
the said eye or eyes of the rolls described-This compound lever consists essentially
of two parallel levers jointed at their middles, their outer end being connected by
a link or connecting rod, the free end of the upper lever is acted upon by the
shoulder of the cam while the lower lever has at its inner end the shield or mask
and at its other end a counterpoise weight for bringing back. the mask or shield
into position before the eyes of the rolls, after the cam has ceased to act.
The operation of rolling is effected in the following manner.
A heated parallel strip or bar of iron of the desired width is brought into the
required position in front of the rolls; that is to say, the end of the bar is presented
and pressed against the shield or mask. The rolls being in motion, the shoulder of
the cam acting upon the free end of the compound lever depresses or lowers the
shield from in front of the eyes of the rolls and from before the end of the bar,
allowing the said bar to enter the groove of the rolls-The bar thus operated upon
is returned from the back of the rolls through one of the gaps or openings and
reintroduced into the flattening or slabbing groove to reduce its breadth, which was
thickened by the previous rolling or passage-It is then passed through the next
or second progressive excentric groove of 'increased taper and so on until the
desired taper has been imparted to the rod being operated upon, that is, the rod is
constantly deviating or changing in its progressive taper by its successive passages
through the progressional excentric and flattening grooves.
A bar or strip of iron is thereby produced having a perfect or progressive taper.
After the passage through the rolls of the bar under operation the weight on the
end of the lever brings the shield into position before the eyes of the rolls for each
successive passage-The number of passages through the rolls depends upon the
taper required in the bar.
THOMAS KEEN.
WILLIAM BEASLEY.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.

page_text: We THOMAS KEEN of the District Iron and Steel Works, Smethwick, in
the County of Stafford, Iron Master, and WILLIAM BEASLEY of Smethwick
aforesaid, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED IN ROLLING TAPER
IRON AND OTHER METALS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention consists in rolling and finishing metallic bars, rods, strips, strands,
plates and other descriptions of iron, steel and other metals having a longitudinal
taper figure; that is to say, iron, steel and other metals described, having a
progressing or diminishing width or thickness.
We will describe our invention as applied to the manufacture of a taper bar or
rod rectangular in cross section.
Two horizontal rolls situated one above the other and working in bearings or
housings of the ordinary kind are driven from the lower roll. The upper roll is of
large diameter, while the lower roll is of much smaller diameter. The top or large
roll has a series of increasing excentric or progressively cut grooves or channels
through which the iron is alternately passed for the production of the taper
required in the bar.
The lower or smaller roll is provided with concentric grooves or channels,
corresponding in position to the excentric grooves in the upper roll, it has also
a concentric flattening or slabbing groove through which the bar of iron is
alternately passed for flattening, after each successive width tapering. The plain
periphery of the said lower roll, meets the plain periphery of the upper or larger
roll, thereby giving the requisite motion thereto.
In consequence of the upper roll being of less length than the lower roll, space
between the ends of the rolls and housings for the returning of the bar from back
to front after each successive passage is obtained-Collars on the lower roll embrace
the edges of the upper roll, and above these collars, the aforesaid spaces or gaps are
situated through which the iron is alternately passed for re-rolling.
Mounted upon the axis or trunnion of the upper roll, a cam is situated, the
function of which is to determine the relative position of the upper roll, or the
exact time when the bar or rod shall be introduced into the eye or eyes of the
rolls, this is effected by means of the cam acting on the free end of a compound
lever, which presents and removes at the proper time, a mask or shield from in
front of the said eye or eyes of the rolls described-This compound lever consists
essentially of two parallel levers jointed at their middles, their outer ends being
connected by a link or connecting rod, the free end of the upper lever is acted upon
by the shoulder of the cam, while the lower lever has at its inner end, the shield
or mask, and at its other end, a counterpoise weight for bringing back the mask or
shield into position before the eyes of the rolls, after the cam has ceased to act.
The operation of rolling is effected in the following manner.
A heated parallel strip or bar of iron of the desired width is brought into the
required position in front of the rolls; that is to say, the end of the bar is
presented and pressed against the shield or mask. The rolls being in motion, the
houlder of the cam acting upon the free end of the compound lever, depresses or
owers the shield from in front of the eyes of the rolls, and from before the end of
he bar, allowing the said bar to enter the groove of the rolls. The bar thus
perated upon is returned from the back of the rolls through one of the gaps or
penings, and reintroduced into the flattening or slabbing groove to reduce its .

page_text: breadth, which was thickened by the previous rolling or passage. It is then
passed through the next or second progressive excentric groove of increased taper,
and so on until the desired taper has been imparted to the rod being operated
upon; that is; the rod is constantly deviating or changing in its progressive taper
by its successive passages through the progressional excentric and flattening
grooves.
71.
A bar or strip of iron is thereby produced having a perfect or progressive taper.
After the passage through the rolls of the bar under operation, the weight on the
end of the lever, brings the shield into position before the eyes of the rolls for each
successive passage. The number of passages through the rolls, depends upon the
taper required in the bar. .i.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and figure 2 an end elevation of rolling machinery
and appliances connected therewith constructed according to our invention for
rolling taper iron and other metals.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
Drawings.
a, b are two horizontal rolls situated one above the other and working in
bearings or housings c of the ordinary kind, the rolls are driven from the lower
roll by means of suitable gearing commonly employed in the rolling of metals-
The upper roll a is of large diameter, which has a series of increasing excentric or
progressively cut grooves or channels a³, a² and as through which the iron is
alternately passed for the production of the taper required in the bar.
The lower or smaller roll b is provided with concentric grooves or channels 61, 62, 63
corresponding in position to the excentric grooves a¹, a², a³ in the upper roll a-
The lower roll b has also a slabbing groove d through which the bar of iron is
alternately passed after each successive width tapering The plain periphery e of
the said lower roll meets the plain periphery of the upper roll, thereby giving the
requisite motion thereto.
In consequence of the upper roll a being of less length than the lower roll b
gaps g are left between the ends of the upper roll and the housings-These gaps
are for the returning of the bar being tapered from back to front after each
successive passage for re-rolling-Collars on the lower roll embrace the edges of
the upper roll, and above these collars, the gaps are situated as best seen in
figure 1.
4
Mounted upon the axis of the upper roll, is a cam j, the function of which, is
to determine the exact time when the bar or rod shall be introduced into the eyes
of the rolls; this is effected by the front or shoulder of the cam acting on the
free end of the lever le which transmits its motion through the link to the lower
lever m, carrying the mask or shield n, which is alternately removed from the
front of the eyes of the rolls when a bar must be introduced-o is the frame work
supporting the housings and rolls-p is a counter balance weight for bringing back
the two parallel jointed compound levers-q is the adjusting screw for bringing
down the upper roll.
The operation of rolling is effected in the following manner :-
The heated parallel strip or bar of iron is brought into the required position in
front of the rolls as shown in figure 1; that is, the end of the bar is presented and
pressed against the shield or mask n, the rolls being in motion, the shoulder j2 of
the cam jacts upon the end of the lever k, and depresses the lever m through the
link l, and so. lowers the said, shield from in front of the eyes of the rolls and from
before the end of the bar to be tapered; the bar is then introduced or passed
through the first tapering groove or eye a¹ which after being operated upon, by
the first series of grooves of the upper and lower rolls is returned from the back of
the rolls through one of the gaps g and re-introduced into the flattening or slabbing
grooved to reduce its breadth which was previously thickened by the previous
rolling or passage, the bar is then passed through the next or second progressive

page_text: excentric groove a² of increased taper, and so on to the third, until the desired
taper has been imparted to the bar or rod being fashioned or operated upon; that
is, the bar has undergone a progressive taper by its successive passages through
the excentric and flattening groove or grooves, a bar or strip of iron is thereby
produced having a longitudinal progressive taper.
After the passage of the bar through the rolls, the counterbalance weight p
brings the shield n again into position before the eyes of the said rolls for each
successive passage-The number of passages of the bar through the rolls, depends
upon the taper required.
Although we have described the tapering of a bar crosswise, or in the direction
of its depth, yet the said bar may be tapered flatwise or both flatwise and cross-
wise.
Instead of employing a series of progressive grooves as described, a single
progressive excentric groove may be employed with like effect; and where one
groove only is employed, we prefer to cut the said groove in the middle of each
roll as represented in figure 3 with flattening or slabbing grooves on either side-
The progressive taper being effected by raising or lowering preferably the upper
roll to the desired extent by means of gearing s. 8, situated on the top of the
housings The wheels s. 8 which are on the axis of the screws, gear with the
central toothed wheel t the raising and lowering of the rolls being effected by
the levert through the intervention of the wheels s. t.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, We declare what we
we claim is
First The improvements in rolling taper iron and other metals as described
and illustrated in the several figures of the Drawings; that is to say, producing
the required taper by progressive excentric grooves of increased pitch or taper in
conjunction with a roll having concentric grooves as described and set forth.
Secondly Producing taper iron and other metals, as described, and by the
progressive rollings or passages, with intermediate slabbings, the machinery and
appliances being arranged, combined and operating in the way and for the purpose
as described and illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly The appliances hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 1 and 2
for determining the exact time when the bar or rod to be tapered shall be
introduced into the eyes of the rolls as described and set forth.
Fourthly Rolling taper iron by a single progressive excentric groove in
combination with the second roll, slabbing grooves, and raising and lowering
appliances as described and set forth in figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this sixteenth day of December 1884
THOMAS KEEN.
WILLIAM BEASLEY.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.
Dated this sixteenth day of December 1884
THOMAS KEEN.
WILLIAM BEASLEY.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.