CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CALICO PRINTING ROLLERS OR CYLINDERS, ALSO IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE SAME, AND WHICH SAID APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE SEPERATELY OR CON- JOINTLY TO THE MANUFACTURE OF PARALLEL AND OTHER METALLIC TUBES, AND THE ROLLING OF THE METAL FOR THE SAME OR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ferdinand Potts and Robert Brough
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
4th April 1859.
We, FERDINAND POTTS, of the Firm of "F. Potts & Co.," Tube Manufac-
turers, and ROBERT BROUGH, Engineer, both of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CALICO PRINTING ROLLERS OR CYLINDERS,
ALSO IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE
SAME, AND WHICH SAID APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE SEPERATELY OR CON-
JOINTLY TO THE MANUFACTURE OF PARALLEL AND OTHER METALLIC TUBES, AND THE
ROLLING OF THE METAL FOR THE SAME OR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows
(that is to say):
Our Invention in the construction of calico printing rollers consists in
forming a taper tube of sheet iron, or other metal of any convenient thickness,
upon a perfectly true mandril of the right degree or amount of taper; this
tube may be jointed or not, as desired, and while yet on the mandril or filled
with sand we lay it in a pair of moulds, and cast on to it a coating of cast
iron of sufficient thickness, which we turn down on the ends and face, taking
care to preserve the concentricity of the inner tube or now taper hole; we
next form a billet or seamless tube of copper, which we draw out to the
proper thickness and size, so that it may be placed on the cast-iron cylinder,
before described, and by passing them in this condition between rolls, or by
pulling or forcing them through holes in the manner in which tubes are formed,
the copper case will become firmly fixed on the iron cylinder, and has only to

page_text: be turned and finished off to be fit for use; thus we obtain an economic roller
with all the advantages as if it had been made solid, and the taper hole turned
or bored out, an operation attended with great expense and trouble. In some
cases a nib is required to project inward from the large end of the taper hole;
this we obtain by fastening the nib to the sheet iron or other tube first made,
by pinning, rivetting, or otherwise before casting the iron upon it, and instead
of reducing and applying our outer covering or copper case by means of a
common draw bench and an endless chain, we purpose in some instances
applying to this operation bydraulic power, by fixing a suitable cylinder in an
horizontal or other direction, and with suitable connecting pipes and valves,
we are enabled to apply the direct action of a piston, plunger, or ram to the
drawing of the billet or outer tube through suitable holes in the regular way
until reduced to the proper size, and by the same agency we purpose drawing
and fixing this tube on to the iron cylinder; thus we obtain and apply a
power that may be decreased or increased at pleasure, absorbing but very
little power, either from a steam engine, water-wheel, or other agency that may
be used to force the water into the cylinder for giving motion to this arrange-
ment, which may be worked double or single, as required, simply by allowing
the piston rod or plunger to extend through each end of the cylinder, having
the piston in the middle, and forcing the water in alternately at each end of
the cylinder. By the agency of this hydraulic arrangement, we are enabled
to draw with more facility and less wear and tear, every description of tubes
or drawn metals that require in their formation either to be pulled between
rollers, holes, dies, or any other tool, as commonly used in the formation of
solid, seamed, cased, and other tubes or mouldings. And our further improve-
ments in the application of hydraulic power for the preparing of sheet metal
for the formation of tubes, and which is also applicable to the reducing or
rolling of metals in general, consist in forming a suitable cylinder or cylinders
connected with the frame or carriage in which rollers are set up for the rolling
of metals, and which cylinders are so arranged that by means of plungers
connected with the bearings on or in which the rollers work, by forcing
in or allowing water to escape from such cylinders or chambers, the rollers
will be set more apart or closer together, as desired, or according to the nature
of the metal that is being rolled.