structing Boшers and similar Vessels, and Machinery for Effecting such Bending.
Year: 1886

page_text: structing Boшers and similar Vessels, and Machinery for
Effecting such Bending.
I JOSEPH TOWARD ELTRINGHAM of South Shields in the County of Durham,
Iron Ship and Boiler Builder, 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 relates especially to the bending of the shell plates of marine .
boilers of great thickness-required for high working pressures-without the use
of rolls, dispensing with the heating of the plate, which frequently injures the
quality of the material, and ensuring that the plate shall be bent to a true radius
over its entire surface, which is not effected by roll bending.
The operation of bending according to this invention is effected by concave and
convex moulds of the required radius each application of which benda a portion
of the plate equal circumferentially to the breadth of the moulds and axially or
longitudinally to their length, which will be sufficient to take in the largest plates
required to be dealt with.
The machine consists of a main frame comprising two girders united by tension
bars at each end with means for adjusting the distance between them. One of
these girders carries one of the moulds curved (preferably) convex to the required
radius and the other girder carries, at suitable distances apart, rams working in
cylinders operated by steam water or other pressure but preferably hydraulic.
Another girder, movable and guided upon the tension bars, receives the outward
thrust of the rams and carries the other mould curved (preferably) concave.
moulds may not form convex and concave counterparts of each other, as one or the
other may consist of shaped bars, with spaces between, inserted into grooves on
face of the girder-of suitable depth and distance apart.
The
The machine may be arranged to operate either vertically or horizontally as may
best suit special conditions but in either case it is perfectly self contained requiring
no further foundation or steadiment than is necessary to support its own weight
and that of the plate being bent. The plate may be moved forward as each section
is completed upon rollers and the use of the crane dispensed with except to bring it
to the machine in the first instance and to remove it when completed..

page_text: The machine may be adapted for corrugating-simultaneously with the bending
or not plates forming any arc of a circle by using corrugated moulds the operation
being the same and the plate may be heated or not as may be required.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as applied to a machine
arranged horizontally.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 an end elovation of the machine which
is placed in a pit sunk to a convenient depth below the shop floor-A is the lower
and B the upper girder united by two strong tension bolts C C. at each end, their
upper ends screwed so as to adjust the position of the upper girder. D is the inter-
mediate girder movable and guided upon the tension bolts and carried upon the
rams of the three hydraulic cylinders E E E which are fixed on the lower girder A
The upper girder B carries on its lower face the moulds F curved to the radius to
which the plate is to be bent.
The upper face of the 'intermediate girder D carries the round headed bars G, G,
which act in a similar inanner to a concave inould (shewn inserted in dove tailed
grooves) upon which the plate H rests being guided into position upon one of the
rollers K K carried in bearings at the ends of screwed bolts L L working in
nuts M M. and adjustable either by automatic gear or by hand, or I may substitute
hydraulic mechanism for adjusting the rollers to suit the operation of the machine
Water under accumulator pressure being admitted into the cylinders the rams are
forced upward and carry with them the girder D with the plate H which is bent
to the required radius upon the mould F, at one operation, over a surface equal to
the breadth of the mould and to the entire breadth of the plate and, the water
being allowed to escape from the cylinders, the rams return and, the plate being
moved a distance equal to the breadth of the mould F, the operation is repeated
till the entire plate is bent to the required radius from edge to edge.
It is obvious that to enable a great quantity of work to be executed the machine
may be duplicated by arranging another set of rams on opposite sile of girder
extending the tension bars to another fixed girder carrying moulds and with
another movable girder receiving the outward thrust of the rams carrying the
corresponding moulds.
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 improved method of bending plates for constructing boilers or similar
vessels whereby heating and passing through rolls is dispensed with and a true
are of a circle obtained and machinery for effecting such bending substantially as
described and illustrated.
Second.. The machine comprising the various parts in combination for effecting
the bending of plates in the manner and with the specified objects constructed and
operating substantially as described and illustrated.