MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING IRON RAILS OR BARS
Year: 1861

page_text: MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING IRON RAILS OR BARS." -A communi-
cation from abroad by Henri Nicolas Rogé, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris.
Sealed the 28th March 1862, and dated the 10th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
October 1861.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention'
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING IRON RAILS OR BARS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus for curving or bending iron of all
sections while in a cold state either edgewise or flat, or both, and more par-
ticularly rails for railroads, which as is well known are bent laterally for curves
of small radius, and transversely when they are required to be laid on an incline,.
while they are. bent in both directions when the line is both curved & un-
This apparatus consists of a framing of wood or iron suitably arranged
for the purposes of the various parts of the machine. The framing rests on
another frame or sole plate furnished with wheels for removing the apparatus
to any part of the line of railway. In fixed bearings of this frame turn two

page_text: grooved horizontal cylinders connected and held at a convenient distance;
a third horizontal cylinder is placed midway of the two first, but in an upper
plane, and turning in bearings furnished with pressure screws, serving to lower
or raise the 3rd cylinder according as the bend to be given to the flat of the
rail passing between the three horizontal cylinders is to be more or less. Two
other grooved cylinders turn vertically in fixed bearings on the frame disposed
on one side of the machine, while on the other side of the same frame is a
third vertical cylinder furnished the same as the preceding with pressure
screws & placed midway of the axes of the two first, from which it can approach
or recede, according as the bend & incline to be given to the rail passing
between the three cylinders is to be more or less. On the exterior of this
apparatus is a series of toothed wheels communicating a rotary movement to
the cylinders. This gearing is put in motion by a toothed wheel placed
on the motive shaft, on the extremity of which is also fixed a fly wheel &
crank.
The machine being thus disposed, if it is wished to bend a rail on the flat,
I proceed as follows:-After having moved by means of the pressure screws
the movable horizontal & vertical cylinders to the. most distant points from
the others, the rail to be bent is introduced between the 6 cylinders, the dif-
ferent positions of which are as follows:-2 grooved horizontal cylinders in rigid
positions under the rail on which it rests, the third cylinder is above the rail.
The two grooved vertical cylinders are disposed to the right of the rail, while
the third vertical one is to the left; after having brought the third vertical
cylinder to touch the rail-tangentially, the pressure screws of the third hori-
zontal cylinder are tightened in such way as to bend the rail, it becomes
bent throughout its length, and is drawn through between these three hori-
zontal cylinders by the motion communicated thereto.
A similar application of the vertical cylinders will bend the rail sideways,
or it may be in that way alone or in addition to the bending in the other direc-
tion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and a
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, my 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
APPARATUS FOR BENDING IRON RAILS OR BARS," a communication from abroad
by Henri Nicholas Rogé, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an apparatus for straightening and bending iron
of all sections while in a cold state, both flat and edgewise, in one operation.
It is especially applicable for shaping and bending all kinds of railroad rails,
which are bent in a cold state in the flat when required to be used for small
or sharp curves, and edgewise when placed at the junctions of inclines with
the horizontal way, and in both directions simultaneously when required. The
form of the cylinders or rollers may be modified according to the shape of
the iron to be worked. An apparatus to be used in railroad workshops is.
mounted on four wheels so as to be easily moved on the line. The apparatus
is furnished with three or five cylinders according to the work to be done, that
with three cylinders shapes and bends, while that with five cylinders shapes
and bends rails and other iron in any direction..
Description of apparatus with three cylinders.-It is composed, 1st, of three
horizontal cylinders; mounted on a frame, and receiving a rotating motion

page_text: from toothed gearing worked by hand or any motive power. Two of these
cylinders are stationary while the third is movable, and may be brought
nearer to or withdrawn from the two others by means of a screw or vertical
sliding carriage mounted on the frame. These three cylinders bend the rails
in a cold state in the flat. 2ndly, the three vertical cylinders mounted on the
same frame, two of which are stationary, and the third movable, which can
be approached or withdrawn from the two others by a screw worked by a fly
wheel. These three cylinders bend in a cold state the rails edgewise. The
two operations are effected simultaneously or it may be separately; an index
fixed to the frame indicates on a dial regulated by the screw of the third cylin-
der the radius or curve for each position of the third cylinder.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal elevation of the machine, showing the side
of the working gear; Fig. 2 shows a plan of the machine; Fig. 3, a central
vertical section on line A, B, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows an end view with a rail
under operation; Fig. 5 shows a central vertical section of the bending
apparatus on line C, D, Fig. 2, also showing the cylinders and a rail in
position. The same letters of reference represent the same parts in the different
Figures.
i
a frame of the apparatus which may be mounted on a carriage 6 for run-
ning on the rails, this frame encloses the cylinders and forms the support
for the working parts; c, winch handle giving motion to the fly wheel and
pinion d, which is thereby communicated to wheel e; f, second pinion keyed
on the axis of the wheel 1, said pinion f gearing with two large wheels g and
h mounted on the axis of the two first horizontal cylinders, which are of
suitable form according to the shape of the rails or other metal to be operated
on; and j, fixed horizontal twin cylinders; k, third horizontal movable cylinder
mounted in bearings ; this cylinder is approached or withdrawn from the two
others and according to the curve to be given to the rail. The arc deter-
mined by the three tangential points of the three cylinders i, j, and k, indi-
cates the curve on the flat given to the rail or other metal; m, screw hand
wheel of third cylinder k, mounted in bearings 7 of the frame; m², dial and pointer
for indicating the curve; n & o, twin vertical flattening stationary cylinders;
p, third vertical moving flattening cylinder mounted in bearings 9; its position
with regard to the two other cylinders n & o may be varied according to the
curve to be given to the metal. The arc determined by the three tangential
points of the three cylinders n, o, and p, indicates the curve given to the rail
or other metal bent edgewise; r, screw hand wheel of the third cylinder p
mounted in bearings 9 of frame a; s, dial and pointer giving the curve edge-
wise, as that of m indicates the bend in the direction at right angles thereto.

page_text: The cylinders may also be grooved instead of plain, as represented. The
bar of iron or rail represented travels simply by the rotary traction of the two
stationary horizontal cylinders.
Apparatus with five cylinders.-Two other movable cylinders t and u may
be added to the above-described apparatus represented in dotted lines, Fig. 5;
they are only necessary for acting at one time on very uneven rails, or to form
a double curve in both directions. The three cylinder apparatus performs the
same work only in two operations or in a single operation by turning the rail.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK.
53, Chancery Lane, London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)