IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STRAIGHTENING RAILS AND WROUGHT-IRON BARS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Menelaus, of Dowlais Iron Works, in the
County of Glamorgan, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR STRAIGHTENING RAILS AND WROUGHT-IRON BARS."
Sealed the 1st April 1859, and dated the 5th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Menelaus at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
October 1858.
I, WILLIAM MENELAUS, of Dowlais Iron Works, in the County of Gla-
morgan, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STRAIGHTENING RAILS AND WROUGHT-IRON
BARS," to be as follows:-
My machinery consists of a block carrying a bell-crank lever, in which two
sets of rams are fitted, one set to act horizontally and the other set vertically,
and of an angular bed in which the rail or bar to be straightened is
supported. The bar rests upon and is received against two sets of bearings,
each set being composed of two or three blocks, three being preferred. The
rams are so placed with respect to the blocks as to work between them. At
every stroke of the lever the two sets of rams are brought into action, and as
fast as each portion of bar is straightened it is pushed forward by the action of
the machine or otherwise until its whole surface has been acted upon.

page_text: Although I have described the rams as being driven by a bell-crank lever,
I do not confine myself to their being so driven, as various other means of
working them may be adopted, and the rail or bar may be straightened at two
operations instead of in one, as above described.
My Invention also consists in adjusting the stroke of the rams by means of
screws or other equivalent agents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Menelaus in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MENELAUS, of Dowlais Iron Works, in the County of Glamorgan, Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Menelaus, Her special licence that I, the said William Menelaus,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Menelaus, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
STRAIGHTENING RAILS AND WROUGHT-IRON BARS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Menelaus, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 William Menelaus, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My machinery consists of a block or standard carrying a bell-crank lever,

page_text: in which two or more rams or sets of rams are fitted, one ram or set of rams
to act horizontally; and the other ram or set of rams vertically, and of an
angular bed in which the rail or bar to be straightened is supported. The bar
rests upon and is received against two sets of bearings, each set being com-
posed of 2 or more blocks, three being preferred. The rams are so placed
with respect to the blocks as to work between them. At every stroke of the
lever the two sets of rams are brought into action, and as fast as each portion
of bar is straightened, it is pushed forward by the action of the machine or
otherwise until its whole surface has been acted upon.
Although I have described the rams as being driven by a bell-crank lever,
I do not confine myself to their being so driven, as various other means of
working them may be adopted, and the rail or bar may be straightened at two
operations instead of in one, as above described.
My Invention also consists in adjusting the stroke of the rams by means
of screws or other equivalent agents.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is shewn
in the accompanying Drawings, where Figure 1 is an elevation, Figure 2 an
end view, and Figure 3 a plan of the machinery for straightening rails and
wrought-iron bars. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 are views of various parts of the
machinery detached. The same letters refer to similar parts in all the
Figures. A is a standard or frame to be fixed into or upon a suitable bed
plate, not shewn in the Drawings; B is a bell-crank lever, the sides of which,
a, a, are centred in bearings in the sides of the frame A.
Four apertures
are formed in the lever B, two of the apertures being at right angles to the
other two. These apertures are for the reception of four rams C, C, D, D.
In order to adjust the position of the rams their ends b, b, bear against a
cross bar E, the ends of which are passed over threaded rods F; F, and by
means of the band wheels G, G, the bosses of which are threaded to correspond
with the thread on the rods F, F, the position of the bar and rams is regu-
lated; His a steel spring for keeping the ends b, b, of the rams in contact
with the bar E. Figures 5 and 6 are detached views of one pair of rams, and
the arrangements for adjusting their position; I is a rod for connecting the
tail of the lever with a crank, cam, eccentric, or other agent for imparting a
vibrating motion to the lever; K is the angular bed, see detached views
Figures 7 and 8, having on its horizontal and vertical faces three projecting
blocks L, L, L, upon and against which the rail or bar to be straightened is
supported. The action of the machinery is as follows:--The end of the rail
or bar to be straightened is placed upon and in the angular bed under and in
front of the rams, and the lever is made to vibrate. Upon the descent of the

page_text: vertical rams that portion of the rail between the rams is made straight or
slightly convex upon its under surface; the continuous motion of the lever
next brings the horizontal rams into work, and a similar effect is produced
upon the rail in a horizontal direction. After being subjected to a vertical and
horizontal blow the rail is moved forward; the effect of the second set of
blows is to bring the portion of the bar rendered slightly convex by the pre-
ceding blows straight; but if the effect of the preceding stroke has left the
rail straight, that portion will be unaffected by subsequent blows.
Although I have shewn and described the best machinery with which I am
acquainted for carrying my Invention into effect, I do not limit myself to the
'precise arrangements thereof. For instance, instead of two rams or sets of
rams mounted in the bell-crank lever, as herein-before explained, rams at right
angles to each other may be actuated directly by cams, cranks, or eccentrics;
and various other modifications may be made, without departing from the
main features of my Invention.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, straightening rails and bars by means of two rams or sets of rams
made to act upon the rails or bars, supported both horizontally and vertically
in the manner herein-before described.
Second, adjusting the position of rams employed in machines for straighten-
ing rails and bars by means of regulating screw gear, or apparatus equivalent
thereto.
And, third, the general arrangement of machinery, together with the method
.of action thereof for straightening rails and bars, herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Menelaus, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.
ATT
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COVETAT A