Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 11th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 12th Aug., 1887.
RESERVE
I RICHARD BEAUMONT THOMAS of The Poplars Lydbrook in the county of
Gloucester Tin plate works manager do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to provide means and appliances for cleaning metal
plates or sheets such for example as tin or terne plates whereby these plates or sheets
shall be cleaned as is desired without the usual protracted manual labour at present
necessary in and for such cleaning.
To carry out this object I fit preferably an endless rope band or chain round suitable
rollers on which rope band or chain at convenient intervals are attached carriers for
the plates or sheets. These carriers may be made in any convenient and suitable
manner and are so attached to the rope band or chain that they can assume any desired
position in respect to the same. The rope band or chain is caused to travel and as
each carrier is brought to a certain desired position this carrier is erected into a
position at right angles or thereabouts to the rope band or chain and a plate is inserted
therein or is held thereby and as this carrier passes on at another desired position the
same is folded down in such wise that the plate is between the carrier and the rope
chain or band which movements of the carrier can conveniently be effected by stops
or studs or other appliances. The plate so held by the carrier then passes into and
through a chamber wherein may be fitted guides to cause the plate to retain the afore-
said position and in this chamber is contained shudes or other suitable cleaning
material through which and in contact with which both above and below the plate
passes but it is obvious that the upper surface of the plate will be most efficiently
cleaned. When therefore the plate issues from this chamber the rope band or chain
passes in such wise round one or more rollers that the plate still held in and by the
carrier is reversed in position and what was the upper surface is now the lower surface
in which position the plate passes into and through either the same chamber as afore-
said or another chamber also fitted with shudes or other suitable cleaning material.
Instead of being reversed in position as aforesaid outside of the one or more chambers
the plate may be so reversed or caused to describe a curve round the one or more
rollers inside of the one chamber or of both the chambers if desired and this
treatment aforesaid may be repeated as often as may be desirable to clean the plate.

page_text: When the plate issues from the last of the series of chambers or emerges for the
last time from the one chamber or emerges from this chamber when the treatment
aforesaid is completed the carrier opens and the plate is delivered therefrom by any
usual or suitable appliance to the dusting apparatus. This consists very conveniently
of three pairs of rollers of which the first pair and the last pair are so revolved as to
hold and carry the plate on while the middle pair which may be conical and covered
with sheepskin or other suitable material is caused to revolve either in the same
direction at a greatly increased speed or in the opposite direction preferably at the same
or at a reduced speed and thus the plate is dusted and this treatment also may be
repeated as often as may be desirable until the plate is delivered perfectly clean as is
desired.
The endless or other rope band or chain is preferably made of such a length as will
allow the plate to be placed in the carrier as it issues from the prior treatment while
hot and will allow the metal to set before the plate enters the chamber for which
reason also the rope band or chain is preferably made of such material as can withstand
the heat of the plate. The dusting apparatus also is preferably so placed as to allow
the plate to thoroughly cool before it reaches the same. The carrier and the rope band
or chain are also constructed as to leave as much of the surfaces of the plate as is
possible exposed to the action of the cleaning material. The cleaning material can
conveniently be agitated as the plate passes therethrough and can be prevented being
drawn by the plate to the exit ends of the chambers in any convenient manner. Clips
or other suitable appliances can also be used instead of the carriers aforesaid.
Dated this 8th day of December 1886.

page_text: I RICHARD BEAUMONT THOMAS of The Poplars Lydbrook in the county of
Gloucester Tin plate works manager 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide means and appliances for cleaning metal
plates or sheets such for example as tin or terne plates whereby these plates or sheets
shall be cleaned as is desired without the usual protracted manual labour at present
necessary in and for such cleaning.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my
cleaning apparatus Figure 2 is a plan of the same Figure 3 is a plan of the carrier
Figure 4 is a plan of the lower part of the carrier Figure 5 is a sido elevation and
Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the carrier.
In or on any suitable framing A I mount a series of rollers as is hereinafter
described and round these rollers on each side of the apparatus is the endless band B
preferably formed of and by a suitable chain that shewn in the drawings being very
convenient.
On these bands B at suitable intervals are secured the carriers for the plates or
sheets constructed as follows. Transverse stretchers C are connected to the two bands B
at the proper intervals two such stretchers being required for each carrier and on
the one stretcher Care erected two or more standards D which in side view are always
at right angles or thereabouts to the bands B at or near the tops of which standards D
are horizontally pivotted two or more fingers E in such wise that they can fall or be
folded down parallel in plan view with the bands B and can be erected into a position
at right angles or thereabouts therewith in side view for which purpose these fingers E
are counterbalanced by the plate F whereto they are all secured which plate F has a
projection F on one or both sides. On this stretcher (also are rigidly secured two
or more shorter fingers G parallel with the bands B and on the stretcher C¹ in front
of the same are similarly secured other like fingers G¹ and all these fingers E and G
are so proportioned that when the fingers E are folded down on the rigid fingers G
the ends of the fingers E about correspond with the ends of the fingers G¹.
The bands B are caused to travel at a somewhat slow speed and when one of these
carriers arrives at the top of the roller H the fingers E will either automatically
assume the somewhat vertical position shewn in Figure 1 or can be caused so to do
and a plate is then placed in a somewhat vertical position in this carrier its lower edge
resting on the fingers G and as the carrier passes on at a certain desired position the
fingers E as shewn in this Figure 1 are folded down preferably by a stop engaging
the projection F and the plate then lies flat on the fingers G. To save the plate from
damage all these fingers may be so formed and if required be so covered and with such
material as may be expedient or suitable.

page_text: When the plate in the carrier has been so laid flat as aforesaid it passes along above
an upwardly curved platform or open chamber I wherein are shudes or other suitable
cleaning materials and the two bands B pass under a series of rollers J preferably
three in number mounted parallel or thereabouts with the curved platform I whereby
the plate is caused to enter the cleaning material and to take an upwardly curved
course therein whereby both surfaces but more especially the upper surface of the
plate will be most efficiently cleaned and as the plates in succession are continually
passing in this upwardly curved course there will be little or no danger of the cleaning
material falling off the platform I.
The bands B then pass round and over the upper roller J¹ of this series whereby
the carrier is reversed in position and the plate must obviously now rest on the
fingers E which fingers E fall down as shewn in Figure 1 on another platform or open
chamber K also upwardly curved but in an opposite direction wherein also are shudes
or other suitable cleaning materials and the two bands B pass under a series of
rollers L also preferably three in number mounted parallel or thereabouts with the
curved platform K and as the carrier passes on the ends of the fingers E slide on this
platform K whereby the plate which obviously is now also reversed in position and
what was the lower surface thereof is now the upper surface thereof is caused to enter
the cleaning. material and to take an upwardly curved course therein whereby both
surfaces but more especially the now upper surface of the plate will be most efficiently
cleaned and as the plates in succession are continually passing in this upwardly curved
course there will be little or no danger of the cleaning material falling off the
platform K.
As the carrier approaches the upper end of this platform K the fingers E gradually
open out as shewn in Figure 1 until the plate slides therefrom into a suitable receptacle
or other usual or convenient apparatus or otherwise.
The bands B then pass round and over the upper roller L' of this series which can
very conveniently be toothed or otherwise so formed that the motion desired can be
given to the bands B by and through this roller L' revolved by any suitable power or
gearing or otherwise. From this roller L' the bands B pass round other rollers M
back to the aforesaid roller H.
It is obvious that the rollers J must be so formed that the standards D of the
carriers can pass thereunder and for the sake of lightness I preferably form all the
rollers as shewn in the drawings wherein each roller consists of two discs or wheels
mounted loosely on a shaft near the sides of the apparatus except the roller L' in
which the discs or wheels must obviously be rigidly secured to their shaft to give the
desired motion to both the bands and any one or more of the rollers or the shafts
thereof may be so fitted as to be adjustable thereby giving the bands the required
tension.
I consider that the two curved platforms or open chambers hereinbefore described
are in general amply sufficient to clean the plates but when desired I can fit any
number of similar curved platforms or open chambers causing the plates in manner
as hereinbefore described to pass over them all in succession with alternate surfaces
uppermost.
The plate is preferably placed in the carrier as it issues from the prior treatment
while hot and this apparatus and the bands thereof must be of such a length as will
allow the metal to set before the plate enters the cleaning material in the first platform
chamber.
or open
When the plate has been delivered from the cleaning apparatus it is passed on to
the dusting apparatus of which Figure 7 is the transverse vertical section Figure 8
the elvation of one end and Figure 9 the elevation of the other end.
Three pairs of rollers are adjustably mounted in any suitable framing and the first
pair of rollers N are so revolved as to receive and hold the plate and pass it on between
the next pair of rollers which are preferably of a somewhat larger diameter and are
covered with sheepskin or other suitable material and these rollers O are caused to
revolve in the same directions but at a speed greatly increased above that of the rollers N
preferably about three times as fast whereby the plate is thoroughly dusted as it is

page_text: passed on by the rollers N to the third pair of rollers P which are revolved at the
same speed as the rollers N and receive the plate therefrom and draw it out from
between the rollers O.
These aforesaid differing speeds may be given to the rollers in any suitable manner.
I shew one convenient method in Figures 8 and 9. The power is applied to the lower
dusting roller O¹ and at one end of the apparatus a toothed wheel on this roller O¹
gears into a larger toothed wheel R on the roller N whereon also is a smaller wheel S
which by a band drives a similar wheel T on the roller P. At the other end of the
apparatus a toothed wheel U on the roller N gears into a similar toothed wheel V on
the roller N¹ and a toothed wheel W on the roller P gears into a similar toothed
wheel X on the roller P¹ while a larger wheel Y on the roller P by a band drives a
wheel Z on the roller O.
I consider also that the three pairs of rollers hereinbefore described are in general
amply sufficient to dust the plates but when desired I can add two or four or more
pairs of rollers in every case one of each two pairs of rollers so added being the
dusting rollers the other being the holding rollers and the dusting rollers will
always revolve in the same directions as the holding rollers but at a greatly increased
speed.
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
1. The apparatus for cleaning metal plates or sheets substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for cleaning metal plates or sheets the method whereby the plate
is caused to take upwardly curved courses with alternate surfaces uppermost
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and declared.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting my carrier for metal
plates or sheets substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In an apparatus for dusting metal plates or sheets the combination of two pairs
of rollers revolving at the same speed and one pair of rollers mounted between the
same and revolving in the same directions but at a greatly increased speed substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.