IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING RAIL ENDS AND OLD RAILS INTO BILLETS OR BARS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Charles Hill, of Oakfields Works, in the Parish of
Llantarnam, in the County of Monmouth, Iron Master, Alfred Colerick Pilliner,
of the same place, Engineer, and William Williams, of the same place, Roll
Turner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING RAIL ENDS AND OLD
RAILS INTO BILLETS OR BARS."
Sealed the 6th April 1877, and dated the 23rd December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said James Charles Hill, Alfred
Colerick Pilliner, and William Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 23rd December 1876.
JAMES CHARLES HILL, of Oakfields Works, in the Parish of Llantarnam, in the
County of Monmouth, Iron Master, ALFRED COLERICK PILLINER, of the same place,
Engineer, and WILLIAM WILLIAMS, of the saine place, Roll Turner. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROLLING RAIL ENDS AND OLD RAILS INTO BILLETS OR BARS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in rolling rail ends and old rails
into billets or bars. For this purpose we use rolls such as are shown in the annexed
Drawing at Figure 1. We pass the rail end through the eyes represented on the
left-hand side of the rollers, and so flatten down the heads of the rail first to the
form indicated at Figure 2, and then to the form indicated at Figure 3; then
the work is taken to the cutters, shown on the right-hand side of Figure 1; these
are circular shearing blades combined with rollers. The rollers lay hold of the
flattened heads, on either side, and produce a further slight reduction in thickness,
but the nip of these rollers is not more than is necessary to ensure the work being
carried forward past the shearing blades which divide the metal from end to end,
producing two bars of the section represented at Figure 4. These bars are at once
turned on edge and passed through the eyes represented in Figure 1 to the left of
the cutters, and thus a finished bar or billet is obtained of the section represented
at Figure 5. In this way we produce sound bars or billets from rail ends and old
rails with much greater certainty than heretofore, and with a great saving in
labour.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Charles Hill, Alfred Colerick Pilliner, and William Williams in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd June 1877.
JAMES CHARLES HILL, of Oakfields Works, in the Parish of Llantarnam, in the
County of Monmouth, Iron Master, ALFRED COLERICK PILLINER, of the same place,
Engineer, and WILLIAM WILLIAMS, of the same place, Roll Turner. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROLLING RAIL ENDS AND OLD RAILS INTO BILLETS OR BARS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in rolling rail ends and old rails
into billets or bars. For this purpose we first pass the rail end or short length of
rail, when suitably heated, between rolls so arranged as to reduce the dimensions of
the flanges of the rail; then we slit or divide the bar longitudinally from end to
end; and, lastly, we roll the portions on edge to the form desired. We use rolls
such as are shown in the annexed Drawing at Figure 1. We pass the rail end
through the eyes represented on the left-hand side of the rollers, and so flatten
down the heads of the rail first to the form indicated at Figure 2, and then to the
form indicated at Figure 3; then the work is taken to the cutters shown on the
right-hand side of Figure 1; these are circular shearing blades combined with
rollers. The rollers lay hold of the flattened heads, on either side, and produce a
further reduction in thickness, and at the same time carry the work forward past
the shearing blades which divide the metal from end to end, producing two bars of
the section represented at Figure 4. These bars are at once turned on edge and
passed through the eyes represented in Figure 1 to the left of the cutters, and thus
a finished bar or billet is obtained of the section represented at Figure 5. In this
way we produce sound bars or billets from rail ends and old rails with much greater
certainty than heretofore, and with a great saving in labor. Flat-footed rails we
trent in a similar manner.
Figure 6 shows the first reduction made in the flanges of a footed rail by rolling,
as above described; Figure 7 shows the second reduction; Figure 8 shows the last
reduction previous to splitting or dividing longitudinally; the subsequent treatment
is as already described.
The mechanism described for splitting or dividing longitudinally is the most
convenient that we are acquainted with, but other means of splitting or dividing
may be resorted to. The bars or billets produced by our Invention are especially
suitable for use in the manfacture of wire and hoop metal.
What we claim is, the production of billets or bars from rail ends and old rails by
the combined processes of rolling, to reduce the heads and flanges, and dividing the
web longitudinally, and afterwards rolling on edge, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Colerick Pilliner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.