Improvements in the Manufacture of Tin and Terne Plates.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd. Mar., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Tin and Terne Plates.
I, JOHN HENRY ROGERS, of Glyncoed, Llanelly, South Wales, Tin Plate
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to expedite the annealing of the plates and to
reduce the amount of labour entailed in this operation and to save fuel.
For annealing the plates I employ three furnaces ranged in the arc of a circle-
each adapted to be heated by gas from a gas producer introduced together with
air at one end whilst the products of combustion are led away by chimney outlets
The air
at the other end. During working one furnace at a time is thus heated.
for supporting combustion in this furnace is led through the furnace last heated so
that the air is heated and the furnace and the pots containing plates within it, arc
cooled. The third furnace is opened and the boxes within it which contain plates
that have been annealed are removed and fresh boxes containing plates which are
to be annealed are placed into it. The furnace is then closed and when closed may
be heated by leading through it the products of combustion which are passing
away from the furnace that is being fired.
The furnaces are set end to end and occupy only part of a circle. In the
remainder of the circle can be ranged two series of boxes, one series of boxes
which have been removed from one of the furnaces can be cooling. The other
series can be being emptied and refilled.
At
The furnaces are formed with the openings in them through which they are to
be filled and emptied all in the side which is towards the centre of the circle.
the centre of the circle I place a crane with horizontal radial arm which can be
swivelled around a central post to bring its outer end to any point in the circle.
The arm carries parallel with it a bar which can be run outwards or inwards on
roller supports away from or towards the crane post. Near its outer end the bar
is cranked downwards to bring it near to the ground whilst the extreme outer end
is horizontal. The roller which supports the forward end of the bar can be
somewhat raised or lowered preferably by a small hydraulic cylinder carried by
the crane arm. The boxes are on stands having short legs to raise them somewhat
from the ground.
To place a box into or take it from any one or other of the furnaces, the crane
arm is brought into a line with the box, the bar at the outer end of the arm is then
run forward and its extremity passed below the stand of the box. The outer end
of the bar is then caused to rise and to lift the stand and box off from the ground.
The bar is then run back so that it will clear the inner wall of the furnaces and
then the crane arm can be turned and made to deposit the box on any desired
spot.
The turning of the crane arm and the running in or out of the bar may
advantageously be effected by hydraulic cylinders mounted upon the arm and their
working may be controlled by a man on a platform forming an extension of the
arm but ou the opposite side of the crane post.
n
1 th and day of June 1801
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
improvements in the Manufacture of Tin and Terne Plates.
I, JOHN HENRY ROGERS of Glyncoed, Llanelly, South Wales, Tin Plate
Manufacturer, 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 expedite the annealing of the plates and to
reduce the amount of labour entailed in this operation and to save fuel.
For annealing the plates I employ two or more but preferably three furnaces
ranged in the arc of a circle-each adapted to be heated by gas from a gas producer
introduced together with air at one end whilst the products of combustion are led
away by chimney outlets at the other end. During working, one furnace at a time
is thus heated. The air for supporting combustion in this furnace is led throngh
the furnace last heated so that the air is heated and the furnace and the pots con-
taining plates within it are cooled. The third furnace is opened and the boxes
within it which contain plates that have been annealed are removed and fresh
boxes containing plates which are to be annealed are placed into it. The furnace
is then closed and when closed may be heated by leading through it the products
of combustion which are passing away from the furnace that is being fired.
The furnaces are set end to end and occupy only part of a circle.
In the
remainder of the circle can be ranged two series of boxes, one series of boxes
which have been removed from one of the furnaces can be cooling. The other
series can be being emptied and refilled.
The furnaces are formed with the openings in them through which they are to
be filled and emptied all in the side which is towards the centre of the circle. At
the centre of the circle I place a crane with horizontal radial arm which can
be swivelled around a central post to bring its outer end to any point in the
circle. The arm carries parallel with it a bar which can be run outwards or
inwards on roller supports away from or towards the crane post. Near its outer
end the bar is cranked downwards to bring it near to the ground whilst the extreme
outer end is horizontal. The roller which supports the forward end of the bar
can be somewhat raised or lowered preferably by a small hydraulic cylinder carried
by the crane arm. The boxes are on stands having short legs to raise them
somewhat from the ground.
To place a box into or take it from any one or other of the furnaces, the crane
arm is brought into a line with the box, the bar at the outer end of the arm is
then run forward and its extremity passed below the stand of the box. The outer
end of the bar is then caused to rise and to lift the stand and box off from the
ground. The bar is then run back so that it will clear the inner wall of the
furnaces and then the crane arm can be turned and made to deposit the box on
any desired spot.
The turning of the crane arm and the running in or out of the bar may
advantageously be effected by hydraulic cylinders mounted upon the arm and their
working may be controlled by a man on a platform carried by the arm.
Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section of the series of furnaces and central
charging crane.
Figure 2 is a side elevation and Figure 3 a plan of the crane.
Figure 4 is an end view partly in section on a larger scale.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of one of the crane valves.
A, A2, A3 are three furnaces ranged in the arc of a circle and constructed with
openings A on the inner side through which the boxes of plates can be charged
into the furnace or withdrawn-these openings have doors which are closed whilst
the furnace is being heated.
From the end of each furnace there is a passage B opening into the end of the

page_text: next furnace through openings B-opening into this passage B is also a chimney
outlet C, and a passage D for admission of cold air.
The openings B into the end of each are formed alternately with other
openings E from a passage E which is kept supplied with gas from a gas producer.
Each of the passages B, C, D and E is provided with a valve B* C* D* and Ex
by which it can be closed. When any one or other of the furnaces say the
furnace A has been charged with boxes of plates that are to be annealed and
the furnace has been closed, heated gases from the preceding furnace A3 which is
at that time being fired are led to it through the passage B which connects them
and pass off from the opposite end of the furnace by the chimney outlet C at that
end. Afterwards when the firing of the furnace A is discontinued and the
valve Ex in the passage E through which gas was being supplied to this furnace is
closed the passage B leading from the furnace A² to A³ is closed by closing the
valve B* and the cold air inlet D opening into this passage is opened by opening
the valve Dx so that cold air can then pass into the furnace through the openings B.
In its passage through the furnace the air becomes heated and passes in its heated
state into the furnace A'. At the same time gas is admitted to this furnace and
the firing of the furnace is proceeded with. When the furnace A' has been charged
and closed the chimney outlet between the furnaces A2 and A³ is opened by opening
the valve C and the one between A1 and A2 is closed-the heated gases from the
furnace A will then be led through the furnace A² so as to heat its contents.
FF and G G represent boxes containing plates the boxes F may be boxes
which have just been removed from one of the furnaces and set out to cool. The
boxes G may be boxes which have been filled ready to be charged into a furnace.
H is a revolving crane the post of which is concentric with the arc in which the
furnaces are ranged.
The crane as shewn in Figures 2, 3 and 4 is formed of an arm a one end of
which is pivotted to the post and the other end is supported on rollers which
run upon a rail d that is concentric with the post. Below the arm a and parallel
with it is a bar e-the end of the bar e which is towards the post is supported
between friction rollers which are carried by the arm-the outer end of the bar e
is supported on friction rollers g carried by links which are attached to the ram ¿¹
of a hydraulic cylinder i which is upon the outer end of the arm a-this allows of
the outer end of the arm being raised or lowered.
Mounted upon the top of the arm are also two horizontal hydraulic cylinders j k―
one of these is for running the bare outwards away from the post and the other j for
running the bar inwards towards the post. The bar e has fixed to it two eyes e' e
from a chain is led around a guide pulley then around a guide pulley around
a pulley on the ram of the hydraulic cylinder then around another guide
pulley and another pulley j' on the ram and then attached to the arm a say at 13.
When the ram is thrust outwards from the cylinder the bar e will therefore be
drawn inwards towards the post.
A chain m attached to the eye e² and similarly led around guide pulleys and
pulleys on the ram of the hydraulic cylinder k serves to move the bar e outwards
away from the post whenever the ram is thrust outwards from the cylinder.
Upon the arm a are also two horizontal hydraulic cylinders n n. A chain o
attached at each end to the arm a is led around a pulley o' on the ram of each
cylinder and then around a chain wheel which is fixed to the post. In this way
when the ram of one cylinder is moved outwards and the other inwards the arm
will be turned in one direction around the post and with the reverse movement the
arm will be turned around the post in the opposite direction. p is a light jib at
the end of the arm e to which can be hung a Weston pulley block and lifting chain
for lifting the boxes off the pots. The boxes while hanging on the chain can be
transferred to any desired position or at once placed over plates about to be
annealed. The jib has a socket at its lower end which fits onto the prongs at the
end of the arm so that it can readily be removed when pots are to be charged or
drawn.

page_text: Above the rear end of the arm a is supported a platform r on which stands the
man who is to work the valve mechanism used for controlling the admission of
water to or its escape from the various cylinders. In front of this platform are
three levers a one for working a valve for admitting water to either one or other
of the cylinders jk, a second one for working a valve for admitting water to either
one or other of the cylinders n n and allowing it to escape from the other and a
third for admitting water to or allowing it to escape from the cylinder i.
The valve used is an ordinary slide valve-water under pressure is supplied
continuously to the valve box through the passage t.
When the valve is in its central position it covers both of the outer ports u v
from one of which a pipe is led to the rear end say of the cylinder and from
the other a pipe to the rear end of the cylinder k-whilst from the central part a
pipe is led away to the exhaust.
By shifting the valve endwise by one of the levers s one of the ports u v will be
opened for water under pressure to pass through it whilst the other will be opened
to the exhaust.
The way in which the crane is used to pick up a box of plates and convey it to
and pass it into any one or other of the furnaces is clearly described above.
Cranes constructed in the above manner can also be used for inserting ingots into
and withdrawing them from heating furnaces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination of three or more furnaces ranged in the arc of a circle
each with openings on the inner side by which articles to be heated may be placed
into or withdrawn from it-a passage connecting the end of each furnace with the
end of the furnace next to it-a chimney outlet and an inlet for cold air both
opening into this passage-a passage for the introduction of gas to the end of each
furnace and valves for opening or closing each of these passages substantially as
described.
2. The arrangement of the furnaces and central swivelling crane substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figure 1.
3. The crane composed of an arm capable of turning around a fixed pedestal
an extension bar carried by and parallel with the arm-a pair of hydraulic
cylinders carried by the arm and chains for sliding the extension bar inwards or
outwards a pair of hydraulic cylinders and chain passing around a chain wheel
fixed on the pedestal for turning the arm around the pedestal-and a hydraulic
cylinder for raising and lowering the front support of the extension bar sub-
stantially as described.
4. A crane.constructed substantially as hercinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 2 to 5.
Dated this 1st day of March 1800