Tapered Slips for Ship and other Plate Work.
Year: 1887

page_text: Tapered Slips for Ship and other Plate Work.
1, THOMAS WHITE, of 3 Park Terrace, Govan, in the county of Lanark, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My said invention comprises a new or improved mode of, and construction of
machine, or arrangement of mechanism, for manufacturing or rolling the tapered slip
or strip (out of parallel plates or bars) used in packing or making-up lap riveted
plates all flush or straight where bars have to be riveted across the work for strength
or otherwise, such as for bulkheads and other parts of iron and steel ships, and other
structures of sheet metal; which improvements will enable the said tapered packing
slips to be made better and more accurately to fit the work, with greater saving in time,
labour, and expense, than by the modes and means heretofore in use.
The said tapered slips are required of various widths, (generally parallel in width)
and transverse thickness, this agreeing at the thick end to that of the plate work to
which the slips are to be fitted, and tapered in their length generally in a regular
manner to a fine edge at their other end, but of very various lengths according to the
width of the plates across which they have to be fitted. By my improvements, blank
strips are first cut out of ordinary cold bars or plates to near the parallel wilth and
thickness of the thick end of the required slips, and of such a length that they will
roll out longitudinally to the length of the finished slips at the thin end. These
blanks are heated in a furnace, and then individually fed forward, by the improvements
of my invention, tangentially through between the central part of a pair of strong
powerfully-driven compressing and drawing rolls or rollers, with its butt or thick end
entering first, and to which distance apart the rollers would be set and kept at
starting and while rolling out the blank or slip, by two cold steel gauge patterns or
strips of the exact thickness and taper in length to which the hot slip is to be rolled.
One of these steel patterns is inserted and drawn through between the rollers on each
side of the hot slip, so as to have it formed to the exact thickness and taper of the
two steel gauge patterns, by the rolls being compressed together with sufficient force

page_text: by hydraulic or other powerful mechanical pressing mechanism to keep them rolling on
the steel pattern, while also compressing and shaping the hot blank between them to
the same taper as the patterns, while all three are being drawn through between the
rollers. A feeding-in and receiving or delivery plate or table would be fitted in front
and back of the rollers in proper tangential line or position to lead in and receive
the finished hot tapered slips in a nearly straight direction, as also the two shaping
patterns.
One construction, or general arrangement of the parts, of my new or improved
machine or mechanism, for so rolling and forming the said tapered slips, consists all
as follows: The main framing consists of a strong deep bed frame, preferably
rectangular, secured on a suitable strong foundation, and having two strong vertical
housing side frames, one secured to and erected on opposite sides of the bed frame, at
such a width apart and with vertical planed slotted guide recesses through and up the
centre having the journal bush bearings of the shafts of the two large strong
preferably steel or steel-hooped rollers erected horizontally, the one vertically over the
other, having the ends of their shafts long enough beyond the bearings and housing
on the driving side to have overhung spur wheels keyed on them, of equal size, but
less in diameter than their rollers, to have these driven at an equal surface speed by
their motive gearing, although at different distances apart, as will hereinafter be
described. The bearing bushes of the upper roller are secured by cotters or otherwise
in the top slide parts of the side frames; but the journal bushes of the lower roller
are made movable in the guide slides of the side frames, and rest on strong side arms
(working below them in these guides) of a strong crosshead fitted on the top of the
ram of a hydraulic press fitted in the centre of the bed frame between the side frames
under the rollers. This press is fitted with suitable supply water pressure pipes
supplied from an accumulater and pumps, with a controlling valve in front, convenient
for the workmen to instantly put on or take the pressure off the lower roller, and so
cause the rollers to compress the hot blank and reduce it to the finished size of the
tapered slip desired, and regulated by the steel patterns, while the rollers are carrying
the hot slip and patterns through between them. The driving gearing consists of two
horizontal shafts with a pair of transmitting spur wheels on them over and gearing
into each other, with their pitch lines the same diameter as the rollers, and having the
journal bearings of these shafts carried behind the rollers in the mill frame or in the
framing carrying the other transmitting and driving gearing on the same side and
preferably behind the mill frames. These side wheels gear into their respective
smaller wheels on the spindles of the rolls in nearly the same horizontal plane, so as
to drive the rollers at the same surface speed and yet allow the lower one to rise and
fall in its housing frames, to suit the different and varying thickness of the tapered
slips. The shaft of the said lower transmitting wheel would have a large spur wheel
mounted on it, through which it would be driven by a pinion and a train of one or
more power-increasing wheels and pinions and shafts from the first motion shaft,
preferably fitted in bearings low down in the mill bed frame and on an outer driving
gear carrying frame to one side of the mill .frame. This first-motion shaft would
have a transmitting pinion on it driving the said power increasing intermediate gear
wheels; and would itself be driven in opposite directions by an open and a cross belt
(from pulleys on any adjacent motive-power shaft) passed over suitable beit pulleys
keyed on it, with slack pulleys and a shifting belt fork arrangement and hand lever
conveniently fitted at the front of the machine for the attendant feeding the blanks or
tapered slips and their steel patterns backwards and forwards through between the
rollers as before described, from either side, according as the rollers are driven
forward or backwards by the said belt and wheel gearing, or other equivalent
reversing or transmitting motive-power gearing, which might be fitted in
different ways without departing from the novel features and improvements of my
invention.
Instead of and as an equivalent substitute for the straight tapered steel pattern
slips used to keep the-rolls at the proper distance apart to shape the hot tapered slips,
(when these were not required to be so long as the circumference of the rolls) then

page_text: loose or fixed scroll can shaped steel rings may be used and fitted on reduced parts
at both ends of one of the rolls, for and on which the surface of the other roll would
act and roll to shape the hot tapered slip in an equivalent manner to the straight
tapered pattern slips.
For approximately shaping these hot tapered slips without the straight tapered
pattern slips or rings, the man controlling the action of the admission pressure water
valve might so adjust the inlet speed of the water to the hydraulic press as to raise
the ram and under roll at the proper rate to compress and form the hot tapered slips
while passing through between the rolls.

page_text: Tapered Slips for Ship and other Plate Work.
1, THOMAS WHITE, of 3 Park Terrace, Govan, in the County of Lanark, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing reference being had to the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon; that is to say :-
My said invention comprises a new or improved mode of, and construction of
machine, or arrangement of mechanism, for manufacturing or rolling the tapered
slip or strip (out of parallel plates or bars) used in packing or making-up lap riveted
plates all flush or straight where bars have to be riveted across the work for strength
or otherwise, such as for bulkheads and other parts of iron and steel ships, and other
structures of sheet metal; which improvements will enable tho said tapered
packing slips to be made better and more accurately to fit the work, with greater
saving in time, labour, and expense, than by the modes and means heretofore
in use.
The said tapered slips Zare required of various widths (generally parallel in width)
and transverse thickness, this agreeing at the thick end to that of the plate work to
which the slips are to be fitted and tapered in their length generally in a regular
manner to a fine edge at their other end, but of very various lengths according to the
width of the plates across which they have to be fitted. By my improvements, blank
strips are first cut out of ordinary cold bars or plates to near the parallel width and
thickness of the thick end of the required slips Z and of such a length that they will
roll out longitudinally to the length of the finished slips at the thin end. The blanks Z
are heated in a furnace, and then individually fed forward, by the improvements of
my invention, tangentially through between the central part of a pair of strong
powerfully-driven compressing and drawing rolls or rollers R R¹ with its butt or thick
end entering first, and to which distance apart the rollers would be set and kept at
starting and while rolling out the blank or slip Z, by two cold steel gauge patterns or
strips 2, 2, of the exact thickness and taper in length to which the hot slip Z is to be
rolled. One of these steel patterns z is inserted and drawn through between the
rollers R, R¹, on each side of the hot slip Z, so as to have it formed to the exact
thickness and taper of the two steel gauge patterns z, z, by the rolls R, R¹, being
compressed together with sufficient force by hydraulic or other powerful mechanical
pressing mechanism to keep them rolling on the steel pattern z, z, while also
compressing and shaping the hot blank Z between them to the same taper as the
patterns, while all three are being drawn through between the rollers R R
feeding in and receiving or delivery plate or table A2, A3, is fitted in front and back
of the rollers R, R¹, on brackets on the side frames A¹, A", in proper tangential line
or position to lead in and receive the finished hot tapered slips Z in a nearly straight,
direction, as also the two shaping patterns z, z, which as shown in the Drawings may
be joined together at the butt end to facilitate their entering between the
rollers R, R, and taking in the thick end of the blank plate Z between them, and
the entering in end of those patterns may be formed with a hole at for
facilitating the shifting and removing of the patterns from side to side of the
machine.
A
And in order that my said said Invention and the manner of performing or

page_text: carrying the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in which the same
reference letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where
shown.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1, are a side or end elevation, and a corresponding
sectional elevation taken through the centre of the rollers and hydraulic ram; and
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 are a longitudinal elevation and plan at right angles
to and corresponding to Figures 1 and 2, all of one arrangement of rolling machine,
constructed in accordance with and illustrative of the improvements of my
invention.
Referring to these Drawings:-One construction, or general arrangement of the
parts, of my new or improved machine or mechanism, for so rolling and forming the
said tapered slips, consists all as follows:-The main framing consists of a strong deep
bed-frame A preferably rectangular, secured on a suitable strong foundation, and
having two strong vertical housing side frames A¹, A", secured to and erected on
opposite sides of the bed frame A, at such a width apart and with vertical planed
slotted guide recesses through and up their centre a a having the journal bush
bearings a a² of the shafts R2, R3, of the two large strong preferably steel or steel-
booped rollers R R erected horizontally the one vertically over the other, having the
ends of their shafts R2 R3 long enough beyond the bearings a', a² and housing on the
driving side to have overhung spur pinions P, P1, keyed on them, of equal size, but
less in diameter than their rollers R, R¹, to have these driven at an equal surface speed
by their motive gearing, although at different distances apart, as will hereinafter be
described. The bearing bushes a' a¹ of the upper roller R are secured by cotters a³
or otherwise in the top slotted parts of the side frames A' A"; but the journal
bushes a a² of the lower roller Rare made movable in the guide slides a of the side
frames AA", and rest on strong side or planed arms O1 (working below them in the
guides a) of the strong crosshead O fitted on the top of the ram N₁ of a hydraulic
cylinder or press N fitted and carried in the centre of the bed frame A, between the
side frames A¹ A" under the centre of the rollers R R. This press N N' is fitted
with suitable supply water pressure pipes n, Figure 3, supplied from an ordinary
accumulator and pumps, not shown in the Drawings, with a controlling three way tap
or valve n' in front, actuated by the hand spindle n convenient for the workmen to
instantly put on or take the water pressure off the ram and lower roller R', as will be
understood from the sectional view of this tap shown in Figure 5, the water entering
the ram by the pipe o and passing off by the pipe o' and so cause the rollers R R', to
compress the hot blank Z and reduce it to the finished size of the tapered slip desired,
and regulated by the steel patterns shown more particularly in Figure 4, while the
rollers R R are carrying the hot slip and patterns through between them as shown
more particularly in the sectional view Figure 2. The pressure water from the pipe n,
is always admitted through the branch to the annular piston space round the upper
part of the ram N¹, so as to instantly pull it down when the water is allowed to escape
from the lower part of the ram cylinder N, through the branch o and hollow key of
the valvecock n and escape pipe o as seen particularly in Figures 2 and 3. The
driving gearing consists of two horizontal fixed stud or other spindles s, s¹, carrying
a pair of transmitting spur wheels P² P³ over and gearing into each other, with their
pitch lines the same diameter as the rollers R, R'. These side wheels P2, P³, gear into
their respective smaller wheels P P₁ on the spindles R² R³ of the rolls R, R', in
nearly the same horizontal plane so as to drive the rollers R, R, at the same surface
speed and yet allow the lower one R¹ to rise and fall in its housing frames A¹ A" as
before explained by the action of the hydraulic press N, N', to suit the different and
varying thickness of the tapered slips Z. The shaft s' of the said lower transmitting
wheel, has a large spur wheel S mounted on it, or cast in one with the pinion P³
through which it would be driven by a pinion S' on a second motion shaft T, and a
train of one or more power-increasing wheels and pinions S3, S3, from the first motion
shaft T preferably fitted in bearing plummer blocks T2 low down in the inill bed
frame A at one end and on an outer driving gear carrying frame T³ to one side of the

page_text: mill frame. This first-motion shaft T' has a transmitting pinion S³ on it driving the
said power increasing intermediate gear wheels S2 S¹; and would itself be driven in
opposite directions by an open and a cross belt B B₁ (from pulleys on any adjacent
motive-power shaft) passed over suitable belt pulleys B2, B3, keyed on the shaft T
with a slack pulley B and a shifting belt fork arrangement of sliding bar bb and
lever spindle 62 with back lever and hand lever 61, 73, convenient under the front
delivery table A³ of the machine for the attendant feeding the blanks or tapered slips
and their steel patterns backwards and forwards through between the rollers R R as
before described, from either side, according as the rollers are driven forward or back-
wards by the said belt and wheel gearing; or other equivalent reversing or transmitting
motive-power gearing which might be fitted in different ways without departing from
the novel features and improvements of my invention.
Instead of and as an equivalent substitute for the straight tapered steel pattern
slips used to keep the rolls R R at the proper distance apart to shape the hot
tapered slips Z, (when these were not required to be so long as the circumference of
the rolls) then loose or fixed scroll cam shaped steel rings may be used and fitted on
reduced parts at both ends of one of the rolls, for and on which the surface of the
other roll would act and roll to shape the hot tapered slip in an equivalent manner to
the straight tapered pattern slip.
For approximately shaping these hot tapered slips Z without the straight tapered
pattern slips or rings, the man controlling the action of the admission pressure
water tap or valve n¹n might so adjust the inlet speed of the water to the
hydraulic press N, N', as to raiso the ram N' and under roll R' at the proper rate
to compress and form the hot tapered slips Z while passing through between the
rolls R R¹.
Instead of actuating the lower roller R', in some cases the upper roller R may be
actuated, to compress the slips, by mounting the hydraulic ram above, or so as to work
in the reverse manner to press down the upper roller to form the tapered slips,
and other arrangements of gearing may be adopted, such as having a strong
horizontal toothed rack gearing into the wheel S actuated by a simple horizontal
actuating hydraulic ram, which would simplify the arrangement of wheel gearing and
give a powerful and a quick fore and back reversing action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First. The construction, or general arrangement and combination of the parts of a
rolling compressing machine or mechanism, for making or rolling tapered slips for
ship and other plate work, all substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a machine for rolling tapered slips for ship and other plate work,
the combination of two pressing rolls and an hydraulic reciprocating ram for giving
the pressure motion on these, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described,
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a machine for rolling tapered slips for ship and other plate work, the
construction and use of single or semi-detached cold steel or malleable iron tapered
patterns, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.