IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW VESSELS, AND DISHED, SUNKEN, OR TUBULAR SHAPES OR FORMS IN METAL
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Watts and Daniel Joseph
Fleetwood, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HOLLOW VESSELS, AND DISHED, SUNKEN, OR TUBULAR SHAPES OR FORMS IN
METAL."
Sealed the 16th May 1871, and dated the 22nd December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Watts
and Daniel Joseph Fleetwood at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd December 1870.
We, WILLIAM THOMAS WATTS and DANIEL JOSEPH FLEETWOOD, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OP HOLLOW VESSELS, AND DISHED, SUNKEN, OR TUBULAR SHAPES
OR FORMS IN METAL," to be as follows, that is to say:
:-
THE
The first part of our Invention refers to the manufacture of hollow
ware or hollow vessels by an operation somewhat analogous to that of

page_text: spinning. For this purpose we attach a disc or cylinder of metal to a
stock upon either the head or back centre of a machine resembling a
lathe in bearings, upon which are mounted rollers, and upon the opposite
end of the machine is an arm furnished with a revolving roller through
which passes a mandril capable also of revolving; this mandril enters
the cylinder or abuts against the disc. When the mandril has entered
the cylinder the external rollers are advanced towards a common centre
and press the metal against the internal roller; a traversing motion is
then imparted to the rollers, advancing them as far as may be requisite,
and the operation may be repeated as often as necessary by exchanging
the internal roller and advancing the external rollers under to the centre.
When operating upon a flat disc the mounting and position of the rollers
must be suitably modified, and in some cases one set of rollers in combi-
nation with a pressure plate may be found sufficient. The object of the
Invention being to shape or form hollow vessels by the action of external
and internal rolling pressure, annealing being resorted to when necessary;
and in the case of the employment of such metals as will work hot keeping
them at an uniform annealing heat whilst under formation, for this
we prefer to use jets of flame, applying the heat under conditions
favorable to its due regulation.
Secondly. Our Invention consists in the application to the manu-
facture of the description of articles named in our title of a metal
consisting of a combination of copper and manganese or any of its
alloys.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thomas Watts and Daniel Joseph
Fleetwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
THOMAS WATTS and DANIEL JOSEPH FLEETWOOD, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters. Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Thomas Watts and
Daniel Joseph Fleetwood, Her special license that we, the said William
Thomas Watts and Daniel Joseph Fleetwood, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Thomas
Watts and Daniel Joseph Fleetwood, our 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW
VESSELS, AND DISHED, SUNKEN, OR TUBULAR SHAPES OR FORMS IN METAL," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Thomas Watts
and Daniel Joseph Fleetwood, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, 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 we, the said William Thomas Watts and Daniel
Joseph Fleetwood, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
I
Our Invention refers to the manufacture of hollow ware or hollow
vessels by an operation somewhat analagous to that of spinning. For
this purpose we attach a disc or cylinder of metal to a chock upon either
the head or back centre of a machine resembling a lathe in bearings,
upon which are mounted rollers, and upon the opposite end of the
machine is an arm furnished with a revolving roller, through which
passes a mandril capable also of revolving; this mandril enters the
cylinder or abuts against the disc. When the mandril has entered the
cylinder the external rollers are advanced towards a common centre and
press the metal against the internal roller; a traversing motion is then
imparted to the rollers, advancing them as far as may be requisite, and
the operation may be repeated as often as necessary by exchanging the

page_text: internal roller and advancing the external rollers nearer to the centre.
When operating upon a flat disc the mounting and position of the rollers
must be suitably modified, and in some cases one set of rollers in combi-
nation with a pressure plate may be found sufficient. The object of the
Invention being to shape or form hollow vessels by the action of external
and internal rolling pressure, annealing being resorted to when necessary;
and in the case of the employment of such metals as will work hot,
keeping them at an uniform annealing heat whilst under formation, for
this we prefer to use jets of flame, applying the heat under conditions
favourable to its due regulation.
We will now proceed to describe our Invention by the aid of the
annexed Drawings.
That part of our Invention which relates to the method of operating
upon hollow vessels is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, upon Sheet 1.
(a) is the screwed end of the mandril of an ordinary lathe, of which (6)
is the bed, and (c) the saddle, to which a traversing motion can be given
at pleasure in the usual manner; (d) is a chock screwed upon the
mandril (a) and hollowed out at (e) to receive the base or closed end of
the hollow vessel (f) which is required to be necked or reduced in
diameter towards the mouth. A plate (g) at the end of the mandril (h)
is pressed up by the back centre (i) so as to cause the vessel (ƒ) to
revolve with the chock (d). Upon a hollow arm (k) which is secured to
the saddle (c) is mounted a loose internal roller (7). Four external
rollers (m) are supported from a bracket (n) by means of four
levers (0) (0¹) having adjustable weights (p) by which the rollers (m)
can be caused to press upon the vessel (f) with any desired degree of
force.
The operation of necking is performed as follows:-A hollow vessel,
such as that shewn in Figure 3, having been adjusted so as to revolve
truly with the chock (d), the saddle (c) is moved so as to bring the
internal and external rollers (7) and (m) opposite the point at which the
necking is required to be begun. During the adjustment the weighted
external rollers (m) have been held away from the vessel by the relieving
screw (9), which being right and left handed is capable of drawing
together the arms (r), thereby raising the two upper levers (o) and with
them the two lower levers (0¹), which are connected to the upper levers
by the links (8); sufficient freedom is allowed in the arms (r) and in the

page_text: links (8) to permit the weighted rollers (m) to act quite independently
of each other when the relieving screw (q) is released. The lathe being
set in motion the hollow vessel (ƒ) revolves, and the four external
rollers (m) being released indent by their pressure the circumference of
the hollow vessel (f) until it comes into contact with the internal
roller (1). The saddle (c) being now caused to recede from the chock (d)
and carrying with it simultaneously the internal and external rollers (1)
and (m) the hollow vessel (f) is gradually reduced in diameter towards
the mouth from the point where the operation commenced.
For convenience we have shewn four external rollers, but the number
may be varied if preferred.
Instead of the arm (k) and the travelling internal roller (1) being used
the mandril (h) may be replaced by another mandril sufficiently large in
diameter to receive the pressure of the external rollers (m). By making
this mandril in several separate pieces so as to be afterwards removeable
a vessel may be produced upon it having any desired contour which the
weighted external rollers (m) are capable of following. Figure 4 shews
one form which may be thus produced. The external rollers may be set
up by means of screws instead of weights, but we consider the weights
to be preferable. In converting flat discs of metal into hollow vessels we
use the apparatus illustrated on Sheets 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 8 is a skeleton elevation of an apparatus
in which two rollers and a chock are employed. (A) is a chock of the
required size and shape attached to the mandril of the lathe by means of
the face plate (B). The disc of metal (c) which in the Drawing is
shewn partly converted into a hollow vessel is held firmly between the
chock (A) and the back plate (D) which is pressed against it by the back
centre (E) of the lathe. That part of the disc of metal which projects
beyond the chock (A) is gripped between the external conical roller (F)
and the internal conical roller (G), also shewn in Figures 6 and 7. The
grip is produced by the screw (H) and is prevented from becoming
excessive by the weighted lever (I) acting upon the central draw bolt (J)
the head of which bears against the end of the hollow shaft (K) to
which the internal roller (G) is secured. The carriages (L) and (M)
upon which the rollers (F) and (G) are mounted are bolted in their
proper position upon the plate (N) which slides upon the base plate (0)
and has guiding strips (P) and antifriction rollers (Q). A rope or

page_text: chain (R) is attached to the sliding plate (N) and after passing over
suitable pulleys is weighted so as to cause the nose of the external
roller (F) to press against the disc (C) with sufficient force to cause it to
assume the shape of the chock (A). The rollers are caused to travel in
the direction of the arrow (S) by means of a sliding plate (T) which is
supported at one end upon the slide (U) and is attached at the other end
to the ordinary saddle (V) of the lathe, seen only in Figure 8. The
saddle (V) may be used without the plate (T) in cases where the size of
the disc (C) does not render it necessary to have a gap in the bed of the
lathe, this may be seen in Figure 11. During the travel of the rollers (F)
and (G) in the direction of the arrow (S), that is to say, during the
formation of the vessel (C) the rollers (F) and (G) being pressed towards
the chock (A) by the weight suspended from the rope or chain (R) are
at liberty to follow the contour of the chock (A). The screw (W), seen
also in section in Figure 13, is provided for the purpose of withdrawing
the rollers (F) and (G) when required. The nut (X) bears at one end
only against the projection (Y) through which the screw passes freely so
as to allow the rollers to recede as before described without the necessity
for turning the screw.
Instead of the conical roller (F) a parallel roller (Z) Figure 9 may be
used, and for the purpose of diminishing the friction this may be com-
posed of a number of separate discs placed side by side instead of being
made in one piece; the success of the operation depends upon the due
adjustment and weighting of the rolling gear. In Figure 5 the line of
direction of the sliding plate (N) is shewn at right angles with the shaft
of the roller (F). Less weight upon the rope or chain (R) is required
if the line of contact between the two rollers (F) and (G) be caused
to coincide with the line of direction of the sliding plate (N), as shewn
in Figure 10.
Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14 illustrate our method of converting flat
discs of metal into hollow vessels by means of a roller in combination
with a pressure plate. The external roller (F) is mounted upon a sliding
plate (N), and is pressed against the chock (A) by means of a weighted
rope or chain (R) as before described. That part of the disc which
projects beyond the chock (A) is gripped between the roller (F) and a
a pressure plate (a) which is capable of sliding longitudinally upon
the chock (A), but is compelled to revolve with it by means of the

page_text: feather (6), sliding in a groove (c). The pressure plate (a) bears against
the antifriction rollers (d), which are mounted upon a bracket (e), seen
in end elevation in Figure 14, the bracket (e) being secured to the
saddle (V), to which also is secured the base (O) of the roller slide;
it follows that the roller (F) and the pressure plate (a) travel along the
chock (A) at exactly the same speed. The roller F is caused to follow
the contour of the chock (A) by the suspended weight as before
described. The line of direction of the sliding plate (N) may be made
to coincide with the line of contact between the roller (F) and the
pressure plate (a), as already described and shewn in Figure 10 with
respect to the two rollers (F) and (G). In this combination, as in the
former one, the parallel roller (z), Figure 9, already described may be
substituted for the conical roller (F). The roller (F) in Figure 11
is shewn as being screwed up against the pressure plate (a), but we
prefer to weight it instead in a manner similar to the weighting of the
roller (G) already described.
Figure 12 shews the position of the roller (F) and pressure plate (a),
at the beginning of the operation, and before the formation of the sides
of the vessel has been commenced.
Referring back to Figure 5, Sheet 2, the action of the nose of the
roller (F) is to force the metal of the disc into close contact with the
chock (A), and the action of the face of the roller (F) against the face
of the roller (G), or against the pressure plate (a), Figure 11, Sheet 4,
is to prevent the formation of injurious puckers during the operation;
and the necessary pressure derived from the weight will vary with the
contour of the nose of the roller (F), more pressure being required for
an obtuse and less for an acute contour. By continuing the operation
for a sufficient length of time, a vessel may be produced having a bottom
and sides but no rim or flange. A rim or flange may be left on the
vessel when required by stopping the operation at the proper moment.
The rim or flange may be afterwards wired; we have shewn only one
pair of rolls, but do not limit ourselves to this number.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is practically to be carried into effect, we
claim without limiting ourselves to these precise details, the improve-
ments in the manufacture of hollow ware and of dished, sunken, or
tubular forms in metal, by the employment of external and internal

page_text: rolling pressure, substantially in manner herein more fully set forth and
specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Thomas Watts and
Daniel Joseph Fleetwood, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
WILLIAM THOMAS WATTS.
(L.S.)
DANIEL JOSEPH FLEETWOOD. (L.S.)