Improvements in the Manufacture of Armour Plates, Shafts, and other Heavy Articles from Steel Ingots, and Machinery or Apparatus for the Purpose.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Armour Plates, Shafts, and
other Heavy Articles from Steel Ingots, and Machinery or
Apparatus for the Purpose.
I, JOHN THOMPSON of Post Office Chambers in the City and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the manufacture of heavy articles such as armour
plates, shafts, piston or connecting rods and the like from steel ingots, by a process
analogous to rolling, but in such a manner as to admit of dispensing with the use of
the costly and heavy plant ordinarily employed for rolling, forging or pressing such
articles.
According to my invention the metal is operated upon as hereinafter described
by sectors that form portions of rolls and have imparted to them simultaneously a
reciprocating radial motion. The sectors are mounted in "housings," and are
adjustable as to the distance between them, and as I prefer are actuated by
connecting rods attached near their peripheries and connecting them directly to the
rams or pistons of hydraulic cylinders. In order that the centre lines of these
cylinders shall always be intermediate between the centres of the sectors, so as to
ensure their equal and synchronous motion, 1 mount them in a "saddle" adapted to
be raised or lowered by mechanism working in conjunction with other mechanism
that adjusts the centres of the sectors, this may be effected conveniently by means
of screws, the screws for raising and lowering the saddle having one half the pitch
of those screws which adjust the sectors.
To produce, say, an armour plate, a suitable ingot is placed upon a train of driven
rollers centred in a long table or tables, the level of which is raised or lowered
automatically and simultaneously with the movements of the bottom sector, so that
the ingot, having been operated upon by one forward movement, is lowered and
allows the sectors on their backward movement to clear it, and is then raised with
the roller table and the bottom sector, when the sectors are in a position to make
another forward movement, and thus the operation upon the ingot is continued until
the first reduction of thickness has been effected, when the sectors are re-adjusted
and the process is repeated until the required thickness and width of plate are
reached. The level of the tables carrying the driven rollers, may be conveniently
raised or lowered by a hydraulic cylinder the ram or piston of which actuates a
series of wedges in a track under the frame of the tables; or rollers on a series of
inclined planes, or "knuckle-joints," "cams," or rocking levers may be adopted. In
order to consolidate and finish the edges square and straight, I may employ sectors
acting laterally and either operating simultaneously with or independently of the
main sectors.
I consider it advantageous to so construct and arrange the machine that it shall
be as far as possible self-acting; (that is to say) so that simultaneously with the
adjustment of the centres of the sectors the adjustment of the centres of the
operating hydraulic cylinders will be effected and the raising and lowering of
the roller tables will take place simultaneously with the completion of the backward
and forward radial movements respectively of the sectors this being effected by
means of automatic valve gear adapted to control the admission and release of the
Huid to and from the cylinders which operate the roller table.
With such a machine, assuming the distance between the sectors to have been
adjusted to suit the thickness of the ingot to be operated upon, the hydraulic

page_text: cylinders that actuate the sectors will be simultaneously adjusted and the sectors
moved into their extreme positions towards the ingot that is upon the rollers on the
table (which will now be in its raised position); then the ingot will be introduced
between them, and, pressure being admitted, the connecting rods will move the
sectors into their opposite extreme positions pressing and rolling the ingot between
them to a reduced thickness. The roller table will now be lowered, simultaneously
with the lower sector, so as to allow the sectors to return clear of the ingot (for which
return stroke a quicker motion may be applied) when the roller table and lower
sector will be raised and the rolling and pressing be repeated until the whole ingot
shall have been reduced in thickness when the sectors will be re-adjusted and brought
nearer together and the ingot be further reduced in thickness, increasing in length
and width till the required dimensions shall have been obtained.
In the case of shafts, columns, rods and the like, the ingot will be introduced
between the sectors so that they will operate upon opposite angles or sides in turn,
and thus will gradually reduce the section and elongate the ingot, till the approximate
required section is obtained, when it will be finished to the required form in
swages" of suitable shape which will preferably be fitted into the sectors so as to
be readily changed.
Although I prefer the use of hydraulic power, as described, other power may be
employed without departure from the essential features of my invention.
Dated this 24th day of February 1892.
T. J. DANSON,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Armour Plates, Shafts, and
other Heavy Articles from Steel Ingots, and Machinery or
Apparatus for the Purpose.
I, JOHN THOMPSON, of Post Office Chambers, in the City and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineer, 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:—-
My invention has reference to the manufacture of heavy articles such as armour
plates, shafts, piston, or connecting rods and the like from steel ingots by a process
analogous to rolling, but in such a manner as to admit of dispensing with the use of
the costly and heavy plant ordinarily employed for rolling, forging or pressing such
articles.
According to my invention the metal is operated upon as hereinafter described
by sectors that form portions of rolls and have imparted to them simultaneously a
reciprocating radial motion. The sectors are mounted in "housings," and are
adjustable as to the distance between them, and as I prefer are actuated by
connecting rods attached near their peripheries and connecting them directly to the
rams or pistons of hydraulic cylinders. In order that the centre lines of these
cylinders shall always be intermediate between the centres of the sectors, so as to
ensure their equal and synchronous motion, I mount them in a "saddle" adapted
to be raised or lowered by mechanism working in conjunction with other mechanism
that adjusts the centres of the sectors, this may be effected conveniently by means
of screws, the screws for raising and lowering the saddle having one half the pitch
of those screws which adjust the sectors.
To produce, say, an armour plate, a suitable ingot is placed upon a train of
driven rollers centred in a long table or tables, the level of which is raised or
lowered automatically and simultaneously with the movements of the bottom sector,
so that the ingot, having been operated upon by one forward movement, is lowered
and allows the sectors on their backward movement to clear it, and is then raised
with the roller table and the bottom sector, when the sectors are in a position to

page_text: make another forward movement, and thus the operation upon the ingot is continued
until the first reduction of thickness has been effected, when the sectors are
re-adjusted and the process is repeated until the required thickness and width of
plate are reached. The level of the tables carrying the driven rollers, may be
conveniently raised or lowered by a hydraulic cylinder the ram or piston of which
actuates a series of wedges in a track under the frame of the tables; or rollers on a
series of inclined planes, or "knuckle-joints," "cams," or rocking levers may be
adopted. In order to consolidate and finish the edges square and straight, I may
employ sectors acting laterally and either operating simultaneously with or inde-
pendently of the main sectors."
I consider it advantageous to so construct and arrange the machine that it shall
be as far as possible self-acting; (that is to say) so that simultaneously with the
adjustment of the centres of the sectors the adjustment of the centres of the
operating hydraulic cylinders will be effected and the raising and lowering of
the roller tables will take place simultaneously with the completion of the back-
ward and forward radial movements respectively of the sectors this being effected
by means of automatic valve gear adapted to control the admission and release of
the fluid to and from the cylinders which operate the roller table.
With such a machine, assuming the distance between the sectors to have been
adjusted to suit the thickness of the ingot to be operated upon, the hydraulic
cylinders that actuate the sectors will be simultaneously adjusted and the sectors
moved into their extreme positions towards the ingot that is upon the rollers on the
table (which will now be in its raised position); then the ingot will be introduced
between them, and, pressure being admitted, the connecting rods will move the
sectors into their opposite extreme positions pressing and rolling the ingot between
them to a reduced thickness. The roller table will now be lowered, simultaneously
with the lower sector, so as to allow the sectors to return clear of the ingot (for
which return stroke a quicker motion may be applied) when the roller table and
lower sector will be raised and the rolling and pressing be repeated until the whole
ingot shall have been reduced in thickness when the sectors will be re-adjusted and
brought nearer together and the ingot is further reduced in thickness, increasing in.
length and width till the required dimensions shall have been obtained.
In the case of shafts, columns, rods and the like, the ingot will be introduced
between the sectors so that they will operate upon opposite angles or sides in turn,
and thus will gradually reduce the section and elongate the ingot, till the
approximate required section is obtained, when it will be finished to the required
form in "swages" of suitable shapes which will preferably be fitted into the
sectors so as to be readily changed.
Although I prefer the use of hydraulic power, as described, other power may be
employed without departure from the essential features of my invention.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
On the accompanying three sheets of drawings I illustrate my invention as to its
principal features as I propose to carry it into practical application.
Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) shewing a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 (Sheet 2)
is a transverse section through the sectors on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 being an end elevation
looking (from the left hand on Fig. 1) upon the main crosshead.
Figs. 5 and 6 Sheet 3 shew respectively a side elevation partly in section and a
plan of the machinery with sectors acting laterally to consolidate and finish the
edges, as of plates, square and straight.
The same letters refer to corresponding parts on all the figures where such parts
occur.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 (Sheet 1) and Figs. 3 and 4 (Sheet 2) A A are
the housings in which the sectors B B are mounted upon shafts C C¹ working in
hoarings DD then cantan lainn
11
1

page_text: by worm gearing preferably operated by power as for instance by a small hydraulic
engine connected to the cross shaft F. The lower sector is adjustable only in
relation to the level of the rollers G G which are driven in either direction by a
line of shafting and bevil gearing on the table of the machine H H and this
adjustment is automatic and simultaneous with that of the level of the table and
rollers and is effected by the double acting hydraulic cylinder I which through a
crosshead J gives reciprocating movements to the base plates K K which have
formed upon them a series of inclined planes L working in corresponding inclines
formed in the base of the table and under the bearings of the lower sector the
plates KK have inclined planes M M of greater angle so that the lower sector
rises and falls to a greater extent than the tables H H and rollers G G in order
that on the return of the sector it may clear the underside of the ingot being
operated upon.
The sectors B B' are partially rotated in alternate directions by the hydraulic
cylinders N N mounted in saddles OO which are adjusted, simultaneously with
the upper sector B by the screws P P connected with the adjusting mechanism of
the sectors so that the centre line of the cylinders is coincident with a centre line
between the peripheries of the sectors. The working faces S S' of the sectors are
fitted into dovetailed recesses formed in the main castings. The rams of the
cylinders are attached to the ends of a crosshead Q from which connecting
rods R R return to each side of the peripheries of the upper and lower sectors.
The outward stroke of the rams of the cylinders N N gives the effective or working
radial stroke to the sectors and means will preferably be employed to bring the
rams inward and to return the sectors at a quicker speed.
The automatic gear by which the raising and lowering of the roller tables H H
is caused to be simultaneous with the completion of the backward and forward
strokes of the sectors is not shewn but will consist of some simple connection from
the sectors to the valves of the cylinder I.
When shafts or other heavy articles, other than armour plates, are to be
manufactured the working faces S S₁ for rolling plates are replaced by faces
forming swages shaped to the section of the shaft or other article to be rolled at
the various stages of its progress from the first operation till it is of nearly the
required size and shape.
Referring to Figs. 5 and 6 the machine for consolidating and finishing the edges
of plates square and straight, also applicable to finishing and straightening shafts,
columns, rods and the like is shewn as auxiliary to the main machine and is only
intended to be brought into operation when in the case of a plate it has been rolled
down to nearly the intended thickness. It will preferably stand, relatively to the
main machine shewn on Sheet 1, to the right hand and at such height above the
roller table H H as to allow the ingot to travel clear under it, as on Fig. 5.
The laterally acting sectors B B₁ work upon vertical shafts C C carried in
standards D D in the housings A A' in which they are adjustable towards or from
each other by the screwed shafts E E revolved simultaneously by worm gear pre-
ferably worked by power applied to the vertical worm shaft F. The standards D D'
work in upper and lower guides T T' forming part of the framing of the housings
and extending across, under and over, the roller table H H. The hydraulic
cylinders N N which rotate the sectors B B' to the necessary extent in either
direction, are carried in a strong saddle frame O which extends across and above
the roller table. The rams N' N' of the two cylinders are attached to crosshead Q
sliding on a guide and tie bar U which supports the weight of the rams, the
crosshead and of the two connecting rods R R' from the crosshead to the
peripheries of the sectors and this bar U also ties the two portions of the machine
firmly together.
Although I have described the machine as preferably acting with vertical sectors
in its main operation and with horizontal sectors in its supplementary operation, it
is obvious that it may be differently arranged.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The manufacture of armour plates, shafts and the like from steel ingots by
the operation of sectors having reciprocating rolling motion and adjustable in
housings and actuated by hydraulic steam or other power with means whereby the
motions of the sectors are equal and synchronous and the roller tables, carrying the
ingot with the lower sector rise and fall simultaneously with the effective and
return strokes of the sectors in order that the sectors may clear the ingot on the
return stroke substantially as described and shewn.
2nd. In the manufacture of armour plates, shafts and the like from steel ingots
by the operation of sectors as above described, the application of similar sectors
operating laterally for the purpose of finishing the edges of plates straight and
square and for finishing and straightening shafts, columns rods and the like sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
3rd. For the purpose of manufacturing armour plates, shafts and the like from
steel ingots as before described the use of a machine constructed and operating
substantially as described and shewn on the drawings herewith Sheets 1 and 2 com
prising sectors having reciprocating rolling motion adjustable in housings actuated
by hydraulic cylinders on a crosshead from which connecting rods are attached to
the peripheries of the sectors, said hydraulic cylinders and crosshead being
adjustable simultaneously with the adjustment of the sectors so as to impart to
them equal and synchronous motions, combined with a separate hydraulic cylinder,
operating in unison with the sectors, to give reciprocating motions to a series of
inclined planes whereby the roller table, carrying the ingot being operated upon, is
caused to rise and fall at the effective and return strokes of the sectors and the
lower sector also is caused to rise and fall to an extent required for the effective
and return stroke for the purpose of allowing the sectors to clear the ingot on their
return stroke.
4th. The machine above described in which sectors operating laterally are
applied in addition to the main sectors for the purpose of finishing the edges of the
plates straight and square as shewn on Sheet 3 or with swages of appropriate shape
fitted to the sectors for finishing and straightening shafts columns rods and the
like.
DL
C
11000