Improvements in Coating with Tin, Terne, or other Coating Metal, Sheets, Plates, or Pieces of Iron or other Metal.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Coating with Tin, Terne, or other Coating
Metal, Sheets, Plates, or Pieces of Iron or other Metal.
I EDMUND MOREWOOD of Llanelly in the County of Carmarthen, Tin Plate
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COATING WITH TIN TERNE OR OTHER COATING METAL, SHEETS PLATES OR PIECES
OF IRON OR OTHER METAL," to be as follows:-
The objects of my invention are to enable persons engaged in the process of
coating sheets plates or pieces of iron or other metal with melted metal to perforin
the process with less labor or at less cost of material in proportion to the quality
and appearance of the plate produced than before.
Whether I coat the plates by a somewhat horizontal or semicircular or by a more
perpendicular travel down and up in the melted metal or flux I have to avoid and
get rid of the scruff or dirty matter which is on or about the melted coating metal
and to prevent it being on the surface of the finished plate or sheet.
This is generally accomplished by what is called brushing over-I perform this
cleaning to a considerable extent by what I call and is known as the trough system
or metal washing rollers revolving in troughs of clean melted metal.
But I also now consider that much advantage is gained by the use of a
mechanical sweeper or brush especially if combined with a wash hole as mentioned
in this provisional specification.
The great aim in what is called finishing coated plates or pieces with melted
metal is to be able to reduce and regulate the quantity of coating metal on their
surface and to give them a good appearance and make them fit for their uses when
finished.
In accomplishing this I find it very advantageous to use a pair of middle rollers
revolving by friction between two or more outer rollers of larger diameter which
steady and give pressure to the middle pair and revolving against their surface turn
and true and level it thus more or less neutralizing the wear and tear caused by the
travel of the plates or pieces of metal between such middle pair of friction rollers.
The mode of coating by causing the plates or pieces of metal to pass through
the coating metal or grease in a horizontal or semicircular direction is attended
with advantages especially in the case of sheets or pieces of large size or very light
gauge.
But the coating obtained is usually more heavy than if they rise out of the
melted metal or grease perpendicularly.
And I find the middle or friction rollers with the backstay rollers as described to
be importantly useful in reducing and giving good finish to the coating on such
heavily coated plates or pieces as they rise out of the melted metal or flux in the
finishing process.
Sometimes I wish to give a heavy coating to the sheets or pieces passing between
the middle or friction rollers. Then I place the exterior or steadying outer pair so

page_text: that the lower part of them shall revolve in contact with clean melted coating
metal which I call washing metal. And the roller licks up more or less of such
melted metal and in revolving carries the melted metal on its surface to the middle
friction rollers which are thus fed.
Or the middle friction rollers may be fed directly by revolving themselves so
that their lower part or portion is more or less immersed in the clean melted
washing metal.
It is a very great advantage in using friction instead of tooth wheel rollers to be
able to use rollers and necks of small diameter and to be able practically to
dispense with necks revolving in stationary bearings and thus to be free from the
irregular wear of ordinary necks and bearings caused by the action of the tooth
wheels and by the entry and leaving of the plates passing between the rollers-
and the want of the backstay rollers to be constantly turning trueing and repairing
the rollers whose surfaces are constantly being worn unequally by the plates or
sheets passing between them.
.
The steadiness and action of the large diameter backstay rollers revolving
equally and evenly along the whole length of the friction rollers keeps them level
true and in order.
In the practice of my invention I have what I call a wash hole or vessel suitably
arranged or placed near one or more sides of the washing coating or finishing pot
vessel or trough of melted metal. I find it well to have a wash hole close to the
exit side of the coating or washing pot.
I have also what I call a scruff sweeper or brush suitably placed or arranged.
I prefer to place and arrange it so that it can sweep away any scruff or undesirable
matter from the surface of the melted coating metal or from the surface of the
sheets or pieces of metal in process of being coated.
I prefer to arrange it so as to revolve and to work in connection with the wash
hole or receptacle.
Sometimes I have rods or other arrangements for making divisions or moving
instruments in or in connection with the melted metal pots so that the plates in
process of coating may stand or dwell more or less or be kept apart in the melted
metal.
And I prefer to have a wash hole or receptacle attached to or connected with a
pot trough or vessel of melted metal so that the surface of such melted metal may
be cleansed from scruff or dirt by sweeping or passing it into such wash hole by
the scruff sweeper or by other means or arrangements.
The coating or other melted metal pot may have a division on one side of which
is the scruff or dirt sweeper whilst the pieces or plates to be coated enter or are put
in on the other side.
Sometimes I find it well to make the bottom of the pot lower in one part than
in another.
The side of the division on which the plates sheets or pieces enter may be covered
with flux.
I have a suitable arrangement for raising the plates out of the divided coating
or melted metal pot so as to assist the workman in bringing them out through clean
melted metal.
And also for bringing them out cool and at a suitable finishing temperature.
I find it well to have troughs or vessels of clean melted metal or flux in
combination with scruff sweepers so arranged as to assist the sweepers in their
work.
Sometimes I pass or cause the sheets plates or pieces to travel in or under the
coating metal in a horizontal or semicircular direction by means of spokes axles
or wheels turning more or less round and directly or indirectly propelling the sheets
plates or pieces.
I find it well to combine them with guides in order to cause them to travel in
the desired direction or course.

page_text: .
Sometimes I have coating or melted metal pots so placed or arranged that one
person putting in or working at the earlier stages of the process feeds two or more
pots or starts the plates or pieces to be coated in two or more directions.
In order to improve rectify reduce or finish the coating of tin or terne metal or
of suitable alloys in a melted state on the surface of sheets plates or pieces of iron
or steel or other metal by passing such pieces between rollers revolving in what is
commonly called improving rectifying or finishing flux or in melted coating metal
such rollers have usually heretofore been driven or caused to revolve by tooth
wheels. But I have found that a much better action or result is produced if I use
a backstay exterior or outside roller or rollers revolving as aforesaid with or
without tooth wheels but acting directly or indirectly on the surface or necks of
middle or smaller rollers between which the sheets plates or pieces of metal pass so
as to turn them without these middle or smaller rollers themselves being moved
or caused to revolve by tooth wheels attached to them.
Such rollers between which the metal coated pieces plates or sheets travel may
be otherwise acted upon so as to move or revolve without tooth wheels on their
necks.
But I consider it important to have what I call exterior or backstay rollers to
steady or give motion or pressure directly or indirectly to the middle pair of rollers
between which the sheets plates or pieces pass.
And I cause the surfaces of the exterior or backstay rollers so to turn against
the surfaces of the middle rollers as to make or keep such surfaces more exact
close even or true than they otherwise would be. I use the four or more rollers
more or less abreast. I prefer to work them centre against centre line.
Sometimes I find it well to cause the exterior rollers to work as washing rollers,
that is to say revolving in contact with melted coating metal.
Sometimes the middle or friction rollers may revolve in contact with melted
coating metal contained in (a trough or vessel or they may receive a supply from
the exterior rollers or from the sheets plates or pieces passing between them.
I find it very advantageous to use these friction rollers when I give a more or
less semicircular or horizontal travel to the sheets plates or pieces in the process of
coating washing or finishing.
Sometimes I have grooves or circular flutes or hollows or projections round the
roller or rollers or their necks and a projection or projections in another roller or
rollers to meet or work into or on to each other to assist the friction rollers in
keeping their position or in revolving.
And I find it well to have a buffer or springy matter on or in connection with
the projection or projections or in or about the groove or grooves into between or
against which they work.
I sometimes turn or drive the exterior rollers by a worm wheel.
I generally use the friction rollers with the flux above the nip.
If I wish to put a small quantity of coating metal on the surface of the sheets
or plates or pieces of metal which pass between the friction which is the middle
pair of the four or more abreast rollers working in or in contact with the finishing
flux I place one or more pair below them which act more or less as reducing rollers
to the coated plates passing between them as well as sometimes for other purposes:
I place these lower rollers so that they shall not touch or feed the upper outer ones
by contact.
At other times I set the lower rollers so as to touch the backstay or outer upper
ones, and to impart some of the coating they receive from the plates passing
between them and carry on their surface to the rollers they touch.

page_text: Metal, Sheets, Plates, or Pieces of Iron or other Metal.
I, EDMUND MOREWOOD of Llanelly in the County of Carmarthen, Tin Plate
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The objects of my Invention are to enable persons engaged in the process of
coating sheets plates or pieces of iron or other metal with melted metal to perform
the process with less labour or at less cost of material in proportion to the quality
and appearance of the plate produced than before.
Whether I coat the plates by a somewhat horizontal or semicircular or by a
more perpendicular travel down and up in the melted metal or flux I have to
avoid and get rid of the scruff or dirty matter which is on or about the melted
coating metal and to prevent it being on the surface of the finished plate or
sheet.
This is generally accomplished by what is called brushing over-I perform this
cleaning to a considerable extent by what I call and is known as the trough
system or metal washing rollers revolving in troughs of clean melted metal.
But I also now consider that much advantage is gained by the use of a mechanical
sweeper or brush especially if combined with a wash hole.
In finishing the plates or pieces coated with melted metal I employ finishing
rollers as hereinafter described.
In the practice of my invention I have what I call a wash hole or receptacle for
the scruff suitably arranged or placed and also a scruff sweeper or brush.
The scruff sweeper or brush I apply to sweep away scruff or undesirable matter
from the surface of the melted coating metal I use such sweepers or brushes to
sweep the melted metal when already on the surface of the plates or pieces of metal
in process of being coated or when on the surface of metal rollers which come
into contact with the plates or pieces or when on the surface of the melted metal
through which the plates or pieces are passed.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 is a transverse section of a
grease pot in which finishing or improving rollers work and in which brushes or
sweepers are provided to operate upon the coating metal on the surfaces of plates
or pieces which are passed through the pot to be thereby improved or finished.
a is the pot containing as usual grease heated to above the melting point of the
coating metal. b. b. are two pair of finishing or improving rollers revolving
therein; these rollers are driven in the usual way and as is also now usual they
are carefully tinned or covered with the coating metal so that it remains in a
melted state on every part of the surface of the roller. The level of the grease
in the pot is such that the upper pair of rollers are partly immersed.
brushes or sweepers they are carried by stems c¹ c¹ from sliding bars c² c³.
c. c. are the
The bars c are connected with eccentrics d. d. and receive from them a short and
rapid reciprocating movement. The guides or bearings in which the bars c² slide
are adjustable to and from each other.

page_text: d* dx are wash holes to receive the scruff detached by the brushes or sweepers
and prevent it from coming into contact with the plates or pieces subsequently
passed through the pot.
These wash holes are light metal troughs and they are so arranged that they
may be emptied from time to time.
By means of suitable guides and a cradle of well known construction the plates
or pieces are entered into the pot in the direction indicated by the arrow in
Figure 2 and they are then lifted and passed vertically upwards between the
brushes or sweepers to the finishing rollers and the workman receives them as they
are delivered by these rollers.
The acting surfaces of the brushes or sweepers may be of various materials;
they may be brushes of iron wire or they may be of hard wood or of brick free
from grit but I now prefer surfaces of sheet iron carefully tinned or coated and
the use of such surfaces I have made the subject of another patent application.
There should be perforations or apertures in the surfaces of the brushes or
sweepers in order that the scruff and objectionable matter which they detach from
the plates or pieces passing between them may freely escape.
The marks which the sweepers or brushes may leave on the surfaces of the
plates or pieces are removed by the rollers b. b. I also apply sweepers or brushes
to sweep the melted coating metal on the surface of finishing or improving rollers.
Figure 3 shows in transverse section a pair of such rollers with rotary brushes
or sweepers working in connection with them and removing scruff from their
surface into wash holes provided to receive it.
e. e. are the rollers revolving partially immersed in grease f.f. are revolving
brushes or sweepers driven at a surface speed somewhat exceeding that of the
rollers and brushing the scruff from them into the wash holes g. g. which are
emptied from time to time. In these wash holes the scruff is collected and so it
is prevented from passing down through the grease to foul other rollers below or
the plates or pieces passing through the pot. When these brushes or sweepers are
not submerged they may be of hemp set into recesses in the surface of a roller
I apply also stationary sweepers or brushes as illustrated by Figure 4 and these
may be of hard wood, or brick free from grit answers the purpose well.
Figure 5 illustrates the method in which I apply sweepers or brushes and
wash holes to keep the surface of the bulk of metal in a metal pot free from scruff.
h is the pot containing melted tin or coating metal, it may be a pot into which
plates are dipped by hand and such as is used in the hand process of tinning.
is a sweeper or brush which by suitable mechanical gear is made to skim the
metal and to sweep the scruff over the edge of the pot into the wash hole j.
The sweeper dipping into the metal moves from right to left, sweeps off the
scruff into the wash hole j, returns above the surface of the metal and then dips
in again and repeats the operation. These movements may take place slowly and
occasionally.
Figures 6 show a sweeper or brush intended to be worked by hand; it consists
of hemp held between iron bars so as to form two brushes which are held together
face to face. The plate or piece to be brushed to remove scruff is held by the
workman in tongs and is passed between these brushes. The scruff removed
escapes through apertures in the back of the brush. These brushes may be dipped
from time to time into hot grease to prevent them from becoming stiff from
the metal sitting upon them. Means are provided to adjust the brushes to and
from each other.
The great aim in what is called finishing plates or pieces coated with melted
metal is to reduce and regulate the quantity of coating metal on their surfaces and
to give a good appearance and make them fit for their uses when finished.
The mode of coating by causing the plates or pieces of metal to pass through
the coating metal or grease in a horizontal or semicircular direction is attended
with advantages especially in the case of sheets or pieces of large size or very
light gauge.

page_text: But the coating obtained is usually more heavy than if they rise out of the
melted metal or grease-perpendicularly.
I use rollers four or more abreast to reduce this coating. The middle rollers are
of small diameter and are driven by frictional contact with the outer rollers: The
larger rollers which are driven by gearing I call back stay rollers" they are
pressed by springs against the smaller rollers.
And I find the middle or friction rollers with the back stay rollers as described
to be importantly useful in reducing and giving good finish to the coating on such
heavily coated plates or pieces as they rise out of the melted metal or flux in the
finishing process.
Figure 7 shows in section four abreast finishing rollers-they work partially
immersed in hot grease. The plates or pieces are lowered into the pot and raised
to the nip of the rollers. The undue thickness of the coating is reduced by being
imparted by the plates or pieces to the smaller rollers and by them transferred
to the larger rollers from which the superfluity drops to the bottom of the pot
where it accumulates. The sharp nip of the small middle rollers renders them
very efficient in reducing the coating.
Sometimes I wish to give a heavy coating to the sheets or pieces passing between
the middle or friction rollers. Then I place the exterior or steadying outer pair so
that the lower part of them shall revolve in contact with clean melted coating
metal which I call washing metal. And the roller licks up more or less of such
melted metal and in revolving carries the melted metal on its surface to the middle
friction rollers which are thus fed. :
Or the middle friction rollers may be fed directly by revolving themselves so
that their lower part or portion is more or less immersed in the clean melted
washing metal.
Figure 8 shows four abreast rollers provided with feeding troughs for the outer
or back stay rolls, and though less conveniently feeding troughs may be applied
directly to the middle rolls.
k are the feeding troughs; melted coating metal is supplied to them in any
convenient way; this metal is taken up by the rollers and is applied to the plates
or pieces rising up between them.
Finishing or improving rollers four or more abreast are very advantageously used
in combination with sweeping or brushing arrangements.
Figure 9 shows suitable apparatus it is similar to Figure 2 except that the four
abreast finishing or improving rollers are applied and feeding troughs are shown in
connection with them.
Sometimes I arrange in connection with melted metal pots that the plates in
process of coating may stand or dwell more or less or be kept apart in the melted
metal.
And I prefer to have a wash hole or receptacle attached to or connected with the
pot trough or vessel of melted metal so that the surface of such melted metal may
be cleansed from scruff or dirt by sweeping it into the wash hole by the scruff
sweeper. The metal pot may have a division on one side of which is the scruff or
dirt sweeper whilst the pieces or plates to be coated enter or are put in on the
other side. The side on which the plates or pieces enter may be covered with flux.
I have a suitable arrangement for raising the plates or pieces out of the divided
coating or melted metal pot so as to assist the workman in bringing them out
through clean melted metal at a suitable cool temperature. Figure 10 is a plan.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section and Figure 12 is a transverse section of a metal
pot thus arranged.
7 is a flux box at the entrance side of the pot it contains rosin, grease or other
flux supported on the melted coating metal below which fills the whole lower part
of the pot up to the line marked m The pot is heated to keep this metal melted
in the usual manner. At n there are separate guides or receptacles into which the
plates or pieces to be coated are received and where they may dwell for a time
standing on edge before being pushed on into the channels o. o. in the further of

page_text: after compartment of the pot beneath the rollers p..p. between which the plates or
pieces are withdrawn. The compartment of the pot in which the plates or pieces
may be allowed to dwell has not free communication with the after compartment
of the pot or with the intermediate part between the two compartments but the
exit for the plates or pieces from the receiving compartment is by comparatively
narrow slits sufficiently wide to allow the plates or pieces to pass out freely but
such as to check circulation of the melted metal from one compartment to the
other so that the receiving compartment can be kept considerably hotter than the
compartment from which the plates or pieces are withdrawn.
At the intermediate part q between the two compartments a sweeper similar to
that shown in Figure 5 is applied, it sweeps the scruff which rises to the surface
over the edge of the pot and into a wash hole in which it is retained. Thus the
scruff which is necessarily formed more or less in the receiving compartment is thus
prevented from being carried forward into the compartment from which the plates
or pieces are withdrawn. The after compartment as will be seen is formed with a
number of receiving channels o o. into which the plates or pieces are successively
advanced.
In this part of the pot there is grease resting on the surface of the melted metal
and immersed in this grease are reciprocating brushes or sweepers 8. 8. arranged as
described in respect to Figures 1 and 2 and also improving or finishing rollers p. p.
The plates are lifted in succession by a suitable cradle and are delivered between
these rollers.
:
I prefer also to apply a sweeper to operate on the surface of the melted metal in
this after compartment of the pot where the metal is covered with the grease.
The sweeper works across the surface of the metal as already described and skims
off the scruff into a wash hole. The side of the wash hole is sufficiently high to
retain the grease. The mechanism which operates this sweeper is so timed as not
to interfere with the rise of the plates or pieces to the rubbers and finishing or
improving rollers.
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
1. The use in combination of a mechanical sweeper or brush and a vessel,
receptacle or compartment which I call a wash hole for receiving or containing the
scruff or undesirable matter removed or swept off substantially as described.
2. Mechanical brushes or sweepers arranged to give a more or less horizontal
sweeping or brushing across the plates or pieces whilst they are under the flux.
3. Mechanical sweepers or brushes in the grease or flux pot worked by means of
eccentrics or other automatic appliance to improve the melted surface of the plates
or pieces which are in process of coating by more or less removing or cleansing
such coating from scruff or other undesirable matter as such plates or pieces pass
forward to finishing or improving metal coated rollers substantially as described.
4. Rotating or other sweepers or brushes operating on and removing scruff from
the surface of the coating metal on rollers against or between which plates or
pieces in process of coating are passed substantially as described.
5. A mechanical sweeper or brush which may be worked by the attendant by
hand substantially as described.
6. Reducing the coating on plates or pieces which have obtained a heavier
coating than is desirable by afterwards at a separate operation passing them through
a middle pair of rollers four or more abreast to reduce the yield and improve the
coating substantially as described.
.
7. The combination with rollers four or more abreast of troughs cups or other
vessels containing clean coating metal to supply the rollers between which the
plates or pieces pass substantially as described.

page_text: 8. The combined processes of mechanically sweeping or brushing plates or pieces
in process of coating with afterwards passing such plates or pieces between the
middle pair of rollers four or more abreast as described.
9. A tinning or terne pot having a compartment into which the plates or pieces
to be coated enter through a suitable flux and an after compartment from which
they pass out or are withdrawn; such compound pot being arranged so that the
plates or pieces set on edge may dwell awhile in the metal and then travel on
edgeways in parallel guides abreast of but apart from each other from the place at
which they enter to that at which they leave the pot substantially as described.
J
10. A tinning or terne pot having a compartment into which the plates or pieces
to be coated enter through a suitable flux and an after compartment from which
they pass out or are withdrawn, and a mechanical sweeper or brush keeping the
surface of the metal in the pot free from scruff or other objectionable matter
substantially as described.
11. Mechanical sweepers or brushes removing scruff from the surface of the
coating metal through which plates or pieces in process of coating are passed to
rollers by which the coating is reduced improved or finished substantially as
described.