IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MOULDING OR FORMING DISCS AND OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Henry Varley, of Mildmay Park
.
Works, Newington Green Road, Highbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MOULDING OR FORMING DISCS AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Henry Varley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd May 1875.
I, FREDERICK HENRY VARLEY, of Mildmay Park Works, Newington
Green Road, Highbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN'
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MOULDING OR FORMING DISCS AND OTHER FORMS IN
METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention affords a means whereby true regularity in form, size,
and weight of a substance required to be stamped or moulded is
obtained.

page_text: into the the mould, metal while flowing upwards carries with it the air
bubbles. By using tubes of sufficient length dense castings are obtained
by columnmetric pressure. Where greater density is desired I employ
hydraulic pressure.
In order that the metal may be kept in a molten state until drawn
into the separate discs it is requisite to heat the mould. To prevent
oxidation I prefer to place the series of plates in an outer casing, at the
end of which are provided apertures through which rods attached to the
alternate series project. These rods enable the series of plates to be
slided out or pushed in, the rods fitting the apertures sufficiently close
to prevent the mould being oxidized when subjected to high tempe-
ratures.
To further prevent oxidization I prefer to let in a constant supply of
hydrogen or non-oxidizing vapours or gases during the process of heating
the moulds and until the metal to be cast is poured in. By this means
the plates are protected from wasting away and therefore secure the
reproduction of a great number of castings without any appreciable
deterioration of the accuracy of the mould. The discs thus obtained
are of uniform dimensions, and as the discs are drawn apart whilst in
the molten state greater uniformity in the composition of the alloyed
metal or alloy is secured, each disc being alike equal within a small
per centage in the richness of the noble metal.
Although I have herein-before described my Invention with reference
to discs only, it will be obvious that it is applicable to the production of
other forms which are at present stamped or cut out of metal, and that
it is even applicable to other materials than metal.
Throughout the above description I have referred to one series of
disc holes, only it is obvious there may be, if desired, more than one
scries.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
HENRY VARLEY, of Mildmay Park Works, Newington Green Road,
35 Highbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Frederick Henry Varley, Her special
licence that I, the said Frederick Henry Varley, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Henry
Varley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ⚫ MOULDING OR
FORMING DISCS AND OTHER FORMS IN METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Henry Varley,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Henry Varley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This Invention affords a means whereby true regularity in form, size,
and weight of a substance required to be stamped or moulded is
obtained.
In the usual practice, where discs of metal for coining or other
purposes, where the greatest uniformity is necessary, both as to the
composition of the alloy and the weight and relative value of such alloys
when made to the required dimensions, the metal is cast into bars which
are carefully tested to ascertain the relative proportion of noble metal
and the alloy of which they are composed. These bars are rolled into
strips of the required thickness termed fillets, and then drawn down to
the required final guage. The fillets are then taken to the punching
machine, and dises are stamped from them, by which method a large

page_text: portion of the fillet, namely, the intervening metal between the holes
from which the discs are cut out has to be remelted. This occasions
not only a great loss of time, but also some further loss in the process of
remelting.
Now by this Invention I obtain uniform discs as follows:-A number
of pieces of iron, steel, or other suitable metal or substance made in the
form of plates of the required thickness I place one upon another until I
form a series, each plate being preferably made of the same dimensions.
These plates are placed so that each alternate plate overhangs the others,
hence with six pairs of plates there will be three projecting ends both
ways. Holes are made near the ends for receiving bolts, rods, or pins
for keeping the alternate sets of plates together. When thus placed a
hole the diameter of the discs required is made through the entire set
as nearly central as practicable between the portions of the plate which
rest upon each other; this is made of uniform diameter, and presents
the appearance of a hollow cylinder, the plates being flat fit closely
upon one another, and the surfaces are made to keep in contact by
means of a frame with bolts to draw them together. In this position of
contact the metal in a molten state is poured in and fills up the cylinder,
and while it is still molten the plates are moved between each other so
that the column of metal is at once separated into discs by the move-
ment of the plates of the series between one another sufficiently far to
shut in each separate disc. When sufficiently cold the plates are
returned to the first position, when by forcing in a cylinder through the
hole in the plates the column of discs will be forced out.
fit into the frame which keeps the
and outlet pipe through which the
pipes of suitable length and causing the metal to flow down the pipe
which is bent of a V shape so as to open upward into the mould, the
metal while flowing upwards carries with it the air bubbles. By using
tubes of sufficient length dense castings are obtained by columnmetric
pressure. Where great density is desired I employ hydraulic pressure.
I prefer to
series of plates in contact an inlet
metal is poured. By making the
In order that the metal may be kept in a molten state until drawn
into the separate discs, it is requisite to heat the mould. To prevent
oxidation I prefer to place the series of plates in an outer casing, at the
end of which are provided apertures through which rods attached to the
alternate series project; these rods enable the series of plates to be
slided out or pushed in, the rods fitting the apertures sufficiently close

page_text: to prevent the mould being oxidized when subjected to high tem-
peratures.
To further prevent oxidation I prefer to let in a constant supply of
hydrogen or non-oxidizing vapors or gases during the process of heating
the moulds, and until the metal to be cast is poured in. By this means
the plates are protected from wasting away, and therefore secure the
reproduction of a great number of castings without any appreciable
deterioration of the accuracy of the mould. The discs thus obtained are
of uniform dimensions, and as the discs are drawn apart while in the
molten state greater uniformity in the composition of the alloyed metal
or alloy is secured, each disc being alike equal within a small per centage
in the richness of the noble metal.
Though I have herein-before described my Invention as applied to
discs only, it will be obvious that it is applicable to the production of
other forms which are at present stamped or cut out of metal, and that
it is even applicable to other materials than metal.
Throughout the above description I have referred to one series of disc
holes only.
It is obvious there may be if desired more than one series.
Where several series of moulds are employed I preferably place them
in reverberatory or gas furnaces, whereby the heat is made to play
around the moulds on all sides to secure the required degree and
uniformity of heat to the plates and the inlet and outlet tubes or pipes,
which tubes I preferably make in sections so that the cooled or
congealed metal or substance left in the tubes can be taken out to be
remelted and worked.
The series of moulds are attached to sliding pieces which enable the
plates to be drawn asunder when the moulds are filled with the metal
or substance in either a fluid or semi-fluid state. I attach the sliding
pieces to the plungers of a bydraulic press, whereby they are made to
draw out the series of plates constituting the mould, or to force them
together when the mould is required to be reset for fresh operations.
When the number of plates constituting the mould is not very great, or
the series of moulds not too many, I prefer employing a screw to give
motion to the sliding plates; or they may be made to slide in or out by
means of levers.

page_text: r
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of
* Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Moulding or Forming
Discs and other Forms in Metals and other Materials,” substantially as
the same is herein-before set forth and described; and likewise I claim
the mode of obtaining such discs, either of alloyed metal, or pure metal,
or substances such as glass, and other substances requiring to be
moulded, the same being obtained by means of sliding or shifting
moulds, in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Henry Varley, have here.
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
FREDERICK HENRY VARLEY. (L.S.)