An Improved Rolling Mill Platform.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rolling Mill Platform.
We, WILLIAM DAVIES, of Milton Street, Middlesbrough-on-Tees, in the
County of York, Ironworker, and THOMAS WILLIAMS, of Hartington Road,
Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Works Undermanager, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to rolling mill platforms of the kind in use mainly in con-
junction with rolling mills for rolling iron and steel plates and is intended to
facilitate the manipulation of such plates in the manner required for passing them
through the rolls.
As is well known the operation of passing plates backwards and forwards
through the rolls is only to be effected by also lifting and lowering the plate so
that the edge shall be brought level at one time with the gate or passage between
the two lower rolls of a three high rolling mill and the next time with the gate or
passage between the two upper rolls, or in a two high mill with the gate or passage
between the rolls in one direction and over the top roll in the reverse direction.
We are aware that platforms have been constructed to change their level in the
manner required to enable the edge of the plate to be presented to the gate or
passage between the two lower rolls and then to receive the plate as it comes
back through the two upper rolls but such platforms have hitherto been mounted
on framework placed permanently in position for use in each case in conjunction
with its own rolling mill and furnished with operating mechanism capable of
imparting to the platform a change of level only which is effected by applying a
direct lift to the end near the rolls and which tilts the platform up and down
about a hinged joint or the like at the other end and meanwhile the plates are
brought up to the rolls and withdrawn therefrom by means of bogies worked by
men on the platform.
By our improvements we make provision for imparting to the platform not only
the requisite change of level but also a to and fro motion in the horizontal
direction relatively to the front of the rolls so that the platform is capable of
effecting within its own movements the combined result of a tilting platform supple-
mented with bogies worked by hand. And furthermore we provide that a platform
constructed according to our invention shall be serviceable for more than one rolling
mill by providing it with means for effecting its own locomotion.
In carrying out this invention we provide a frame mounted on wheels and
furnished with its own engine or prime mover for driving the wheels when the
apparatus is required to effect its own locomotion, but the frame may in some
cases be a fixture, as the power of locomotion is not in all cases essential to the
main objects of the invention. Within this frame and suitably mounted thereon by
means of a spindle or shaft extending across we provide a railway of two parallel
grooved rails or tracks which can rock or tilt about the spindle or shaft as about a
cams or their
hinged joint for which purpose the free ends are mounted on
equivalent mechanism operated by hand levers or the like, so that these rails or
tracks can be tilted to any required incline or elevation by means of the cams or
their equivalents. These rails or tracks carry the platform which tilts up and
down with them and being mounted on wheels also runs along on them to and
from the rolls, that is, when the machine is in position. This to and fro move-
ment may be effected by any suitable arrangement of mechanism, and the following

page_text: construction of parts is to be taken as indicating what will serve the purpose.
Motion bars or guides on the sides of the main frame receive motion blocks
attached to the platform so that the platform is free to run along the rails or tracks
within the limits of travel assigned by the motion bars to the motion blocks. A lever
at either side of the frame and working about the same fulcrum shaft is linked to each
motion block and for structural compactness this fulcrum shaft may conveniently
be the tilting shaft or hinged joint of the rails or tracks. By connecting one of
the levers extending therefrom to a suitable bell crank lever pivoted on the frame
side the requisite to and fro motion to the platform can be readily imparted
independently of or in combination with the tilting motion derived from the lever
and cam as before described.
The platform may if desirable be furnished with prongs similar to those
provided on the bogies and also with a series of friction rollers placed transversely
at suitable intervals.
Dated this 15th day of November 1904
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicants.
An improved Rolling Mill Platform.
We, WILLIAM DAVIES, of Milton Street, Middlesbrough-on-Tees, in the
County of York, Ironworker, and THOMAS WILLIAMS, of Hartington Road,
Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Works Undermanager, 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:-
This invention relates to rolling mill platforms of the kind in use mainly in con-
junction with rolling mills for rolling iron and steel plates, bars and billets, and
is intended to facilitate the manipulation of such plates, bars or the like in the
manner required for passing them through the rolls.
In specifying our invention we will for the sake of simplicity of description
refer to plates only but it is to be understood that we include in that expression
bars, billets and the like heavy articles which are passed through the rolls in the
same way and for the manipulation of which our invention is similarly applicable.
As is well known the operation of passing plates backwards and forwards through
the rolls is only to be effected by also lifting and lowering the plate so that the
front or advance edge thereof shall be brought level at one time with the gate or
passage between the two lower rolls of a three high mill and the next time with the
gate or passage between the two upper rolls or in a two high mill with the gate or
passage between the rolls and over the top roll in the reverse direction, a to and fro
motion being combined in each of these cases with an up and down motion
except that in passing a plate backwards and forwards through a reversing mill
the tilting motion is not always required. But a machine constructed for the
purposes of our invention can also be employed in conjunction with a reversing mill
provision being made to combine the to and fro motion of the platform with the
tilting motion when required, or to use the to and fro motion by itself to adapt the
machine to the reversing mill.
We are aware that platforms have been constructed to change their level in the
manner required to enable the edge of the plate to be presented to the gate or
passage between the two lower rolls and then to receive the plate as it comes back
through the two upper rolls in a three high mill, or over the top roll in a two high
mill, but such platforms have hitherto been mounted on framework placed

page_text: permanently in position for use in each case exclusively in conjunction with its own
roling mill and furnished with operating mechanism capable of imparting to the
platform a change of level only which change of level is effected by applying a
direct lift to the end near the rolls and which tilts the platform up and down about
a hinged joint or the like at the other end and meanwhile the plates are brought
up to the rolls and withdrawn therefrom by means of bogies worked by men on the
platform.
By our improvements we make provision for imparting to the platform not only
the requisite change of level but also a to and fro motion relatively to the mill so
that the platform is capable of effecting within its own movements the combined
result of a tilting platform and the movements of bogies worked by hand provision
being also made for using the to and fro motion without the tilting motion when
the machine is to be adapted to a reversing mill which does not always require the
tilting motion.
And furthermore we provide that a platform constructed according to our
invention although it may be a fixture in some cases and adapted exclusively to one
particular mill or set of rolls can be made serviceable for more than one rolling
mill or set of rolls by providing it with means for effecting its own locomotion
whether to pass the plate from one mill or set of rolls to another, or to be engaged
exclusively with one mill or set of rolls at one time and with another mill or set of
rolls at another time.
In the drawings annexed to this Specification a machine is illustrated embodying
in suitable mechanism for carrying our invention into effect the essential features
thereof but it must be understood that our invention is not limited to the precise
combination or arrangement of details therein shown as these can be modified into
well known equivalents in various ways.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation and part sectional view of the machine set in frout
of a three high mill with the platform uptilted to receive the plate returning from
between the two upper rolls, the rolls themselves being shown in transverse
section.
Figure 2 is a side elevation and part sectional view of the machine with the
platform depressed to the position in which the plate could be delivered between
the bottom rolls of a three high mill, but the mill shown in transverse section is to
be taken as representing a reversing mill which usually requires the platform to
remain at the same incline and so the Figures 1 and 2 represent the two extreme
positions of the platform of the machine when tilted from its highest to the lowest
positions respectively as the plate is passed through the rolls.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line x x of Figures 1 and 2 of
the machine looking to the left but with the cylinders and parts concerned in the
tilting mechanism omitted, and Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on
line of Figures 1 and 2 looking to the right and showing the tilting mechanism
only it being assumed that the platform in these two figures appears in the level
or halfway position between the tilted positions shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
The girders a a are the main beams of the moveable platform which are held
together as one structure by suitable crossbeams and connections. This platform
is mounted on the rear carrier wheels bb and the front carrier wheels 6. The
rear wheels bb run upon the rails cc which are permanent fixtures to the main
frame of the machine whilst the front carrier wheels brun upon the rails or
tracks d d which rock or tilt about the spindle e as about a hinged joint. A
to and fro motion is imparted to the wheels bb, whilst an up and down motion is
imparted to the tracks d d, that is to the wheels, and so the platform is tilted
up and down about the shaft e as an axis or hinged joint at the same time that it
is running in and out or to and fro along the rails c c. This combined movement is
controlled and adapted to its purpose by suitable leverage worked from steam

page_text: cylinders or equivalent prime movers provided on the machine itself. In Figure 3
fis a steam cylinder the piston rod g of which is connected to the lever which rocks
about as its centre and by means of the link h² its oscillatory motion is transmitted
to the wheels bb and consequently to the moveable platform. Referring to
Figure 4 is a steam cylinder the piston rod k of which actuates the bell crank
lever, the motion of which is transmitted through the link or connecting rod m
to the rails d d which tilt up and down accordingly. The levers for turning the
steam on or off for the cylinders fand j are manipulated independently of each
other by which the mechanism for the to and fro movement can be used in
combination with the tilting mechanism or by itself; or the said levers could be
coupled or geared together to ensure the combined action always taking place in
the proper or intended manner.
By mounting the machine upon wheels as shown in the drawings the machine
can be moved from one set of rolls to another set of rolls, and be made to effect its
own locomotion in the well known way. But the machine may be in some cases a
fixture, as the power of locomotion is not in all cases essential to the invention.
The platform is furnished with prongs corresponding to the prongs and recesses
usually provided on the top guide-rest, or guide plate of the mill, for guiding and
lifting the plates as they enter and leave the rolls and also with a series of friction
rollers n as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
An improved rolling mill platform in which and within its own movements a
to and fro motion can be brought into action either separately or in combination with
a tilting motion substantially as and for the purpose as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of August 1895
Dated this 15th day of Anonst
1895
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicants.