IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOVING IRON OR OTHER METALS WHILE THE SAME IS IN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE AT THE ROLLS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOVING IRON OR OTHER METALS
WHILE THE SAME IS IN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE AT THE ROLLS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Charles Hewitt, of the City of Trenton, in the
State of New Jersey, one of the United States of America.
Sealed the 7th October 1859, and dated the 5th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOVING IRON OR
OTHER METALS WHILE THE SAME IS IN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE AT THE ROLLS," to
be as follows:-
In the manufacture of iron in the ordinary way, the mass or ball of red-
hot iron is usually carried to the rolls in a cradle or truck mounted on wheels,
and the mass of metal is then lifted up by a crank or chain and pullies, and
pushed between the rolls by the attendant workman. This involves a con-
siderable amount of physical exertion and labor, during which the workman
is exposed to the heat radiated by the red-hot mass of metal. The object of
the present Invention is to reduce the labor of moving the mass of molten
metal to and from the rolls, thereby facilitating the manufacture. This is

page_text: effected by the employment of moveable floors, platforms, or supports, on
which the mass of iron or other metal is placed, for the purpose of moving it
at the rolls while in process of manufacture. In carrying out the Inven-
tion, the floors or platforms are mounted on rollers in such a manner that
they are capable of being moved either longitudinally or laterally, or in both
directions if required. The floors are also supported in such a manner as to
admit of being raised and lowered when required, so as to raise or lower the
mass of metal. The raising or lowering of the floors is effected by placing or
supporting them on the ends of levers or arms mounted in suitable bearings,
and provided with counterbalance weights.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOVING IRON OR OTHER METALS WHILE
THE SAME IS IN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE AT THE ROLLS," being a communi-
ration from abroad by Charles Hewitt, of the City of Trenton, in the United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the samie
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention of improved apparatus for moving iron or other metals while
the same is in process of manufacture at the rolls relates to a novel arrange-
ment of apparatus whereby the heated blooms or bars of iron may be raised
and lowered when required, so as to bring them opposite to the rolls, whereby
they are to be reduced to the desired form, shape, and dimensions.
In the accompanying Drawings are shewn two modes of applying the Inven-
tion, one of which is represented at Fig. 1, in end elevation; and at Fig. 2 in
side elevation. The other arrangement is shewn at Figs. 3, 4, and 5; Fig. 3
being a side elevation; Fig. 4, an end view; and Fig. 5, a plan. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
I will now proceed to explain the first and most simple application of the
Invention, which is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. The floors A and B of Figs. 1
and 2 are represented at a level midway between their highest and lowest
positions, and resting on rollers. The floor A (Figs. 1 and 2) rests on the
rollers a, a, a, a, a, a, and the floor B on rollers b, b, b, b, b, b, (see Fig. 1).
These rollers are attached to the levers c, c, c, and the levers c', c', c', which
have for their fulcra the shafts d, d, d, d, and from them are suspended the
weights w, w, w. Before explaining the operation of these parts it is necessary
to state that in practice it is found best to have the lower surface of the pile
or piece to be rolled while on the entering side below a plane that is tangent
to the roll on which the iron or other metal is to be entered; or, in other
words, the centre of the pile should be lower than the centre of the groove, so
that in entering between the rolls the end of the pile will first strike the lower
roll of the two between which it is to be passed, and will be carried upwards
by it into the groove. The opposite side, however, or that upon which the
metal is to be delivered, should be tangential, or nearly so, to the lower of the
two rolls. Therefore, the floor from which the metal is to be entered must
always be lower than that upon which it is to be delivered. As the floor A is
the entering side when the floors are in their lowest positions, it must then be
lower than B; but as it is the receiving side when the floors are highest, it
must then be higher than B. Hence B, never ascending as high nor descending
as low as A, has less motion than the latter. On this difference of motion
depends one important feature of the Invention, namely, the raising as well as
the lowering of the metal without the use of other power than gravity. If

page_text: the rolls are thirty inches in diameter, A may be made to have a motion of
thirty-four inches, and B twenty-six inches. The mode of accomplishing this
difference in the movement of the two floors may be seen by referring to the
rollers a, a, a, and b, b, b, the distance of the fulcrum d from the latter being
so much less than from the former as to produce the desired effect, the
weights, levers, and fulcra being all so connected as to affect each floor at the
same time, but not to the same degree. As the iron or metal to be rolled
always descends on the floor A, which has the greater motion, and rises on
the floor B, which has the less, it is easy to see that the floors with the men
and the metal to be rolled may lift the counterbalances in the one case, and
be lifted by them in the other. To put this arrangement of apparatus into
operation, the metal to be rolled is brought to the floor A (Figs. 1 and 2),
while the floors are in their lowest position, and it is caused by the workinen
to enter between the rolls, and is discharged by them upon the floor B, Fig. 1.
The weights w, w, w, in the manner already explained, now lift the floors with
the men and metal to the requisite height for making the second pass, by
which the metal is again delivered on the floor A of Fig. 1, on which it
descends by the action of gravity, the weights w, w, w, being raised to their
original position. The operation just described continues to be repeated till
the rolling of the bar is finished. With the upward and downward movements
may be combined side movements of the floors without affecting their self-
acting character seriously, and possibly even the backward and forward move-
ment, similar to what is herein-after described and shewn at Figs. 3, 4, and 5,
which represent the second and more complete form of the Invention, a form
which renders it unnecessary to have men on the floors to enter or move the
metal after it has been brought to and passed through the first groove of the
rolls. One man only is required to operate the floors. He need not, however,
stand upon them, but may be at any convenient distance where he can see,
but will not be affected by the heat of the bars in process of manufacture.
I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of this application
of the Invention. The metal is first brought to the floor A (Fig. 3), and is
entered in the first groove; passing through this it is discharged on to the
floor B of Fig. 3. Then the workman in charge throws the clutch e, (Fig. 5,)
which works on a feather on the main driving shaft into gear with the wheel f
which is loose on the same shaft. This wheel thus receives motion, which it
communicates to the wheel 9 and its shaft, and through the latter to the
discs h, h. These discs impart motion to the connecting rods i, i, i, i, and
they by their connection with the arms or levers y, y, y, y, transmit motion to
rock shafts k, k, k, mounted in slotted bearings; these shafts being connected

page_text: together in sets by the rods 1, 1, 1, and arms m, m, m. When the movement
begins, the shafts k, k, k, all turn on their axes, and the arms n, n, n, (Fig. 3)
rotate upwards, and lift the framework o, o, and the floors, at the same time'
carrying them backwards and from the rolls so far that the end of the bar
being rolled may not strike the rest p. Then the shafts k, k, k, are prevented
from rotating further by the guiding pins in the arms 9, 9, 9, these guiding
pins working in the slots shown in the Drawings. These slots are so shaped
that the action of the guiding pins in then prevents further rotation of the
shafts than that just described, but enables them all to receive a forward
motion towards the rolls upon friction wheels, the floor above and the iron on
it receiving a similar movement. In the meantime the irregularly shaped
stationary picces 8, 8, 8, s, by their action on the moveable parts t, t, cause the
upper part of the floor or floor proper to roll on the wheels x, x, far enough
sidewise to carry the metal opposite the second groove of the rolls. The floors
will at this time be in the position shown by the Drawings. The forward
movement above described is greater in distance than the backward movement
of the same floor while rising, and thereby the entering of the metal in the
second groove is secured. The metal then passes through, and is discharged
upon the floor A, Fig. 3. Then the operator throws the clutch u (Fig. 5),
which works on a feather, into gear with the loose wheel v, which, like the
wheel f, also communicates motion to the wheel g, but in the opposite direction,
thus reversing the motion on all the parts of the floors and connections. It is
to be noticed, that the backward motion of the floor A, Fig. 3, is less than the
forward motion it receives in its descent, thereby securing the entering of the
metal in the third groove. The subsequent part of the operation is a mere
repetition of the movements already described. With this mode of applying
the Invention, the use of power in addition to gravity is necessary; but in
order that the full benefit of the latter may be had, the weights W, W, are
provided and are so graduated as to make it unnecessary to expend more
power in lifting than in lowering the floors. The mode of originating the floor
movements through the agency of the clutches e and u, and the wheels f, v,
and g, has been set forth and shown in the Specification and Drawings for
convenience. It would, however, sometimes be preferable to have machinery
for moving the floors entirely disconnected from and independent of that which
drives the rolls. Among the advantages resulting from the above described
Invention are, first, a saving of labor and power; second, the removal of all
limitations upon the size and strength of rolls to be used; third, the providing
of means for making bars or plates of any size that may be required, as the
success of the operation does not depend upon the ability of men to handle the

page_text: weights of or endure the heat radiated from large masses of metal, but only
upon the size, strength, and power of the machinery employed; fourth, a
product better and more uniform in quality, as the rolling will be more
quickly done, and while the metal is at a heat favorable for good and reliable
work.
Having now described the Invention of improved apparatus for moving
iron or other metals while the same is in process of manufacture at the rolls,
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, what I claim as new in the present Inven-
tion and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the use of moveable floors,
platforms, or supports for moving iron or other metal at the rolls while in
process of manufacture, such moveable floors being so arranged and combined
in action as to counterbalance each other, or nearly so, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)