IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING PLOUGH HEADS, WHEELS, AND CRANK AXLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Greig, Engineer, and John Fernie, Iron-
master, both of Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING PLOUGH HEADS, WHEELS, AND CRANK
AXLES."
Sealed the 1st April 1869, and dated the 30th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Greig and John
Fernie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 30th November 1868.
We, DAVID GREIG, Engineer, and JOHN FERNIE, Ironmaster, both
of Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING PLOUGH HEADS, WHEELS, AND
CRANK AXLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in casting plough
heads, toothed and other wheels, and crank axles. In casting plough
heads in cast steel our object is to supersede the process at present in
use, wherein considerable expense is incurred in preparing suitable
moulds of sand or loam which require to be carefully dried, and then

page_text: serve only for the production of a single casting. Now our Invention
consists in casting steel plough heads in a metal mould, by which means
much labor is saved in the production of such plough heads, and one
mould will serve for the casting of an indefinite number of heads.
We construct the mould in some cases in such manner that when the
metal contracts portions of the mould which if they remained rigid would
pull or tear the casting are allowed to yield to the contraction, and no
strain is thrown on the casting while it is in the soft or plastic state,
and we do this by placing in certain parts of the mould subject to
compression portions of a yielding material, such as loam or sand of
sufficient thickness to resist the pressure of the fluid, steel, or metal,
but of so open a nature and of such a form as to give way or crumble
with-a slight compression; or we use a material having a thin face of
loam to resist the metal, and a backing of-a-material which will melt
or burn out when the heat from the melted metal penetrates through
the thin face. By these means portions of the mould are allowed to
contract; or we also release those parts of the mould subject to com-
pression by withdrawing wedge pieces immediately the metal is poured
into the mould. In casting toothed and other wheels in steel we also
employ metal moulds, and we construct them with yielding or moveable
parts, as above described. We also in forming the moulds for casting
pinions which have their teeth smaller at the root than they are at the
pitch line employ a number of small pieces of metal corresponding to
the spaces between the teeth and of such a form that they will be drawn
in when the contraction of the metal takes place.
In casting crank axles in cast steel, we prepare metal moulds of such
an internal form that the proper twist, right or left hand, is given to the
ingot, and when the metal has been poured into the mould we force in
by screws or hydraulic power blocks or pieces of metal through the
sides of the mould into the throws of the cranks at those parts where
the casting has to be cut out when forming the crank pins, and by this
means we prevent the formation of unsoundness in the throws which
would otherwise happen in consequence of the metal remaining longer
hot in those parts in consequence of their larger size, and when we
make double crank axles we allow the portion of the mould between
the webs or throws to contract by the means already described, so that
no strain may be thrown on the casting between the webs in consequence
of contraction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Greig and John Fernie in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
GREIG, Engineer, and JOHN FERNIE, Ironmaster, both of Leeds, in the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said David Greig and John
Fernie, Her special licence that we, the said David Greig and John
Fernie, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said David Greig and John Fernie, our 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING PLOUGH
HEADS, WHEELS, AND CRANK AXLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said David Greig and John Fernic, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands.
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 mouths.
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fernie, on behalf of myself
and the said David Greig, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-.
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in casting plough
In casting plough
heads, toothed and other wheels, and crank axles.
heads in cast steel our object is to supersede the process at present
in usc wherein considerable expense is incurred in preparing suitable

page_text: moulds of sand or loam which require to be carefully dried, and then
serve only for the production of a single casting. Now our Invention
consists in casting steel plough heads in a metal mould, by which means
much labour is saved in the production of such plough heads, and one mould
will serve for the casting of an indefinite number of heads. The metal
moulds or chills we use for this purpose may be cast from models made
in the ordinary way, or they may be cast from moulds made in plaster,
and we prefer them made in steel, and they may be made to stand on
the floor when fixed up ready for casting, but we prefer to fix them with
hinges to a frame, so that when the castings are made the parts of the
chill may swing open and the casting be quickly extracted. At the
parts whore the fluid steel first touches the chill we in some cases make
a recess, into which we insert loam to prevent the chill being cut away
by the action of the steel in these places. When possible we prefer to
let the steel ascend into the chill from the bottom or sides instead of
falling into it. We coat the interior of our chills with washes composed
of clay ground, powdered blacklead, or we smoke them in the ordinary
way. In some cases we find it desirable to give a motion to the chill to
facilitate the operation of casting, and to insure a better face on the casting.
We construct the mould in some cases in such manner that when the
metal contracts portions of the mould which if they remained rigid
would pull or tear the casting are allowed to yield to the contraction,
and no strain is thrown on the casting while it is in the soft or plastic
state, and we do this by placing in certain parts of the mould subject to
compression portions of a yielding material, such as loam or sand, of
sufficient thickness to resist the pressure of the fluid steel or metal, but
of so open a nature and of such a form as to give way or crumble with
a slight compression; or we use a material having a thin face of loam
to resist the metal, and a backing of a material which will melt or burn
out when the heat from the melted metal penetrates through the thin
face. By these means portions of the mould are allowed to contract. Or
we also release those parts of the mould subject to compression by
withdrawing wedge picces immediately the metal is poured into the
mould. In casting toothed and other wheels in steel we also employ
metal moulds, and we construct them with yielding or moveable parts,
as above described. We also in forming the moulds for casting pinions
which have their teeth smaller at the root than they are at the pitch
line employ a number of small pieces of metal corresponding to the
spaces between the teeth, and these we arrange in the interior of the

page_text: mould, and they are of such a form that they will be drawn in when
the contraction of the metal takes place.
In casting crank axles in cast steel we prepare moulds of such
an internal form that the proper twist right or left hand is given to
the ingot, and when the metal has been poured into the mould we
force in by screws or hydraulic power blocks or pieces of metal through
the sides of the mould into the throws of the cranks at those parts
where the casting has to be cut out when forming the crank pins, and
by this means we prevent the formation of unsoundness in the throws,
which would otherwise happen in consequence of the metal remaining
longer hot in those parts in consequence of their larger size; and when
we make double-crank axles we allow the portion of the mould between
the webs or throws to contract by the means already described, so that
no strain may be thrown on the casting between the webs in consequence
of contraction.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that what
we claim is,-
First. The casting steel plough heads in metal moulds as described.
Second. The use in casting steel plough heads, toothed and other
wheels, and crank axles of moulds made for the most part of metal, but
having parts which will yield or crumble or be melted or burnt out as
the cast metal contracts, so as to prevent the straining of the casting by
its contraction, as above described.
Third. The use in casting steel plough heads, toothed and other wheels,
and crank axles of metal moulds having wedge pieces which can be
withdrawn when the metal has been run into the mould so as to allow
the cast metal to contract, as above described.
Fourth. The casting crank axles in cast steel in metal moulds having
blocks forced into the throws of the cranks after the metal has been
run into moulds so as approximately to equalize the metal in the
different sections of the axle, as above described.
Fifth. The casting pinions in moulds formed with a number of pieces
of metal corresponding with the spaces between the teeth from the
pitch line inwards in such manner that the said pieces as the metal

page_text: contracts upon them may be drawn inwards and thus relieve the cast
metal and the mould from the strain, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fernic, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eight day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.