IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES, AND IN MACHINERY
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Leyshon, of Burnt Tree, near Tipton, in the
County of Stafford, Tin Plate Assorter, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES, AND IN MACHINERY
Sealed the 20th January 1865, and dated the 6th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Leyshon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th August 1864.
I; GEORGE LEYSHON, of Burnt Tree; near Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Tin Plate Assorter, do' hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES, AND IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," to be as'
follows:-
My Invention' has for its object to conduct the manufacture of tin and terne
plates so as to avoid the bulging of the plates, which is commonly produced
by the 'tongs used by the workmen to remove the plates' from the grease' pan
or vessel' to the tinning pot, and from the tinning pot to the washman's pot.
My Invention has for its object further to produce tin and terne' plates of
better quality than those made by the ordinary process, and to economize the
grease and metal used 'in their manufacture.

page_text: These improvements in the manufacture of tin and terne plates are carried
out by means of the machinery or apparatus which constitutes part of my
Invention.
In manufacturing tin and terne plates according to my Invention, the
several vessels containing melted grease and melted tin or terne metal are
arranged side by side as in the ordinary manufacture. Instead of introducing
the plates to be tinned into the grease pan and laying them upon one another
horizontally, and afterwards removing them with tongs into the tinning pot, I
proceed as follows:-I place in the grease pan a frame or cage as large as
the pan will conveniently admit, and into this frame the plates to be tinned
are put after the usual cleaning. The plates are placed upright in the said
frame. The frame containing the plates is lifted out of the said grease pan
and carried over and allowed to descend into the tinning pot. This motion
of the frame is effected by means of the following mechanism :-Above the
series of pots or vessels is a shaft having a crank; the said shaft can be made
to rotate by means of a winch and toothed gearing. A connecting rod
hanging from the said crank carries at its bottom a frame or cover, which can
be bolted or fastened to the top of the frame or cage containing the plates,
and by turning the winch the said frame and the plates in it can be raised out
of the grease pan and carried over and lowered into the tinning pot. After
the plates have been sufficiently tinned in the tinning pot they are lifted in the
frame and carried over and lowered into the washman's pot, the frame being
moved by turning the winch, so as to give the required motion to the crank
from which the frame carrying the plates is suspended. After the frame of
plates have been lowered into the washman's pot the cover is unbolted from
the frame or cage, ready to repeat the operations described. The plates are
removed from the frame in the washman's pot and treated in the ordinary
way, and are then put into a rack in the second grease pot, by which treat-
ment the superfluous metal is in great part removed from them. In order to
remove the tin or terne metal which ordinarily collects. along the bottom edge
of the plate and forms a ridge there, I next place the plates in a rack on an
iron plate, floating or fixed on a bath of melted tin or terne metal. The tin
or terne metal runs from the bottom edges of the plates on to the said iron
plate, and from thence into a receptacle, from which it may be drawn out and
transferred to the tinning or terne metal bath. The plates after removal from
the last-described rack are passed between a pair of wooden rolls, in order to
press from them the grease which adheres to their surfaces. The rolls are
situated near the last-described rack, and the plates are taken one by one
from the said rack and placed on a nearly vertical support under the rolls.

page_text: By giving rotation to the rolls the support which is geared to one of them
lifts the plate until it is grasped by the rolls. The said plate is then carried
through the rolls by their rotatory motion, and delivered to the workman
above the rolls. The grease removed from the plates by the rolls is collected
and returned to the grease pot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Leyshon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
LEYSHON, of Burnt Tree, near Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Tin Plate
Assorter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George. Leyshon, Her special licence that I, the said George Leyshon, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Leyshon, 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE
SAID MANUFACTURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Leyshon, 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 George Leyshon, 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 following statement
thereof, that is. to say:-
My. Invention has for its object to conduct the manufacture of tin and

page_text: terne plates so as to avoid the bulging of the plates, which is commonly
produced by the tongs used by the workman to remove the plates from the
grease pan or vessel to the tinning pot, and from the tinning pot to the
washman's pot.
My Invention has for its object further to produce tin and terne plates of
better quality than those made by the ordinary process, and to economize the
grease and metal used in their manufacture.
These improvements in the manufacture of tin and terne plates are
carried out by means of the machinery or apparatus which constitutes part of
my Invention.
In manufacturing tin and terne plates according to my Invention, the
several vessels containing melted grease and melted tin or terne metál are
arranged side by side as in the ordinary manufacture. Instead of introducing
the plates to be tinned into the grease pan and laying them upon one another
horizontally, and afterwards removing them with tongs into the tinning pot, I
proceed as follows:-I place in the grease pan a frame or cage as large as
the pan will conveniently admit, and into this frame the plates to be tinned
are put after the usual cleaning. The plates one by one are placed upright
in the said frame. The frame containing the plates is lifted out of the said
grease pan and carried over and allowed to descend into the tinning pot.
This motion of the frame is effected by means of the following mechanism :-
Above the series of pots or vessels is a shaft having a crank; the said shaft
can be made to rotate by means of a winch and toothed gearing. A con-
necting rod hanging from the said crank carries at its bottom a frame or
cover, which can be bolted or fastened to the top of the frame or cage con-
taining the plates, and by turning the winch the said frame and the plates in
it can be raised out of the grease pan and carried over and lowered into the
tinning pot. After the plates have been sufficiently tinned in the tinning pot
they are lifted in the frame and carried over and lowered into the washman's
pot, the frame being moved by turning the winch, so as to give the required
motion to the crank from which the frame carrying the plates is suspended.
After the frame of plates have been lowered into the washman's pot the cover
is unbolted from the frame or cage ready to repeat the operations described.
The plates are removed from the frame in the washman's pot and treated in
the ordinary way, and are then put into a rack in the second grease pot, by
which treatment the superfluous metal is in great part removed from them..
In order to remove the tin or terne metal which ordinarily collects along the
bottom edge of the plate and forms a ridge there, as well as to make the metal

page_text: of uniform thickness on the surface of the plate, by removing the superfluous
metal from the lower half of the plate,. I next place the plates in a rack on an
iron plate, floating or fixed on a bath of. melted. tin or terne metal. The tin:
or terne metal runs from the lower halves and bottom edges of the plates on
to the said iron plate, and from thence into a receptacle, from which it may be
drawn out and transferred to the tinning or terne metal bath. The plates
after removal from the last-described rack are passed between one or more
pairs of wooden or other rolls, in order to press from them the grease which
adheres to their surfaces. The rolls are situated near the last-described rack,
and the plates are taken one by one from the said rack. and placed on a
nearly vertical support under the rolls. By giving rotation to the rolls the
support, which is geared to one of them, lifts the plate until it is grasped by
the rolls. The said plate is then carried through the rolls by their. rotatory
motion and delivered to the workman above the rolls. The grease removed
from the plates by the rolls is collected and returned to the grease pot:
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner. in which the same
is to be performed..
.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation the machinery or apparatus con-
structed or arranged according to my Invention for the manufacture of tin
and terne plates; Figure 2 is a plan of the same (partly in horizonal section),.
the upper part of the framing of the machinery or apparatus being removed;
and Figure 3 is also a plan of the same showing the top of the framing. and.
parts supported thereon. The other Figures represent separate parts of the
apparatus as herein-after explained.. The same letters are used to indicate.
the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings..
a, b, c, c³, and d are several pans or vessels. containing nelted grease and:
melted tin or terne metal,. the said vessels being arranged side by side as in
the ordinary manufacture; a, being the grease pan; b, the tinuing pot con-
taining tin or terne metal; c, c³, the washman's pot, also containing tin or.
terne metal, and d, the second grease pot. The washman's pot is divided into:
two compartments c, c, the compartment c being commonly called the
soaking pot, and the compartment c the dipping pot. Instead of introducing
the plates to be tinned or coated into the grease pan a, and laying them upon
one another horizontally, and afterwards removing them with tongs into the.
tinning pot b, as in the ordinary manufacture, I proceed as follows:-I place.
in the grease pan a a frame or cage, also shown separately in front elevation,
side elevation, and plan in Figure 4 of the Drawings; the said frame or cage.

page_text: being as large as the pan a will conveniently admit. The said frame or cage e
consists of three (or more) rectangular bands fastened together by bottom
and end plates as represented. The middle band at top is provided with two
buttons f, capable of rotation for the purpose herein-after explained. In the
frame or cage e the plates to be tinned or coated are put after they have been
cleaned in the usual way; the plates being placed upright in the said frame
or cage as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 1. The frame or cage e containing the plates is lifted out of the
grease pan a, and carried over and allowed to descend into the tinning pot b,
containing the melted tin or terne metal, by means of the mechanism situated
on the top of the machine an:l above the vessels a, b, and c, c². This mechanism
consists of a horizontal shaft 9 having a crank h, the said shaft being made
to rotate by means of the winch i and the toothed gearing l, m. To the crank
ha connecting rol n is hung, the bottom end of the said rod n having a frame
or cover p jointed to it, which frame or cover p can readily be fastened to or
unfastened from the frame or cage e containing the series of plates by means
the buttons ff. To fasten the cover p to the frame or cage e the buttons f
are so turned that the slots p' in the middle of the cover p can pass the heads
of the said buttons. By then turning the buttons into a position at right
angles to the slots p², as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the cover p is securely
fastened to the cage e. To unfasten the cover p from the cage e the buttons
fare turned so as to be placed parallel with the slots p', when the slots p² in
the cover p can pass the said buttons, and the said cover be raised from the
cage. I do not limit myself to the fastening described and illustrated, as
other kinds of fastenings may be employed. After the frame or cover p has
been bolted or fastened to the cage e, the winch i is turned in a direction proper
to cause the crank h and connecting rod n to raise the cage e and plates in it
out of the grease pan a and carry it over and lower it into the tinning
pot b. The plates having been sufficiently tinned or coated in the pot b, they
are lifted therefrom in the cage e by again turning the winch i, and carried
over and lowered into the soaking compartment c of the washman's pot c, c³,
the crank making a half revolution in moving the cage e from the tinning
pot to the washman's pot c, c. The cage e and plates having been lowered
into the soaking compartment c of the washman's pot, the cover p of the con-
necting rod n is unfastened from the cage e in the manner already described,
ready to be fastened to a fresh cage containing plates in the grease pan a, in
order to repeat the operations just described. The plates are now removed from
the soaking put c, and after being brushed in the ordinary way are transferred

page_text: to the dipping pot c³. They are àfterwards removed from the dipping pot c³ and
put into a rack 9 (shown separately in Figure 5) in the second grease pot d,
by which treatment the superfluous metal is in great part removed from them.
In order to remove the tin or terne metal which ordinarily collects along the
bottom edges of the plates and forms a ridge there, as well as to remove the
surperfluous metal from the lower halves of the plates and make the coating
on the plates of uniform thickness, I next place the plates in a rack on an
iron plate, floating or fixed on a bath of melted tin or terne metal. This bath
is marked r in the Drawings, and is situated at the side of the second grease
pot d. The rack in which the plates are placed is marked s, and the iron
plate on which they rest is marked t. The rack s and plate t are represented
separately in Figure 6. By the action of the bath r the superfluous tin or
terne metal on the lower halves and bottom edges of the plates is made to run
therefrom on to the iron plate t carrying the racks, and from thence it passes
into the receptacle at one end of the bath r, from which receptacle it may
be drawn out and transferred to the tin or terne metal pot b or c, c². The
plates after removal from the racks are passed between a pair of wooden or
other rolls u, v, in order to press from them the grease which adheres to their
surfaces. These rolls are situated at the end of the apparatus and near the
bath r and rack s. The said rolls are supported by the bracket w, the roll v
being capable of adjustment nearer to or further from the roll to accom-
modate plates of varying thicknesses by means of the set screw x, which acts
through the bar y upon the bearings in which the said roll v turns, as illus
trated in Figures 1 and 2. The rolls u, v, are geared together by toothed
wheels at z, and motion is given to the rolls by turning the winch I on the
axis of the roll v, the said winch being turned by hand or by steam or other
power. Under the rolls is a support or platform 2; this platform is sup
ported upon a horizontal cross. bar carried by a nearly vertical arm 3 at each
end of the rolls. The upper ends of the arms 3 are connected to a crank or
face plate at 4 on the ends of the roll u, so that on the rotation of the rolls
the platform 2 is raised and lowered. The platform 2 is guided in its vertical
motion by the rods 2". The plates to be deprived of the grease on their
surfaces are taken one by one from the racks and placed on the support or
platform 2, as represented at 5 in. Figure 1. By giving rotation to the rolls
u, v, by turning the winch 1, the said support 2 is raised, and the plate 5 upon
it lifted until it is grasped by the said rolls. The plate is carried through the
rolls by their rotation, and delivered to the workman above the rolls. The
grease removed from the plates by the rolls is collected and returned to the
grease pot d. Although I have only represented one pair of rolls for removing

page_text: the grease from the plates, yet, if necessary, two or more pairs of rolls may
be employed, the said pairs of rolls being situated over and parallel to one
another..
;
By conducting the manufacture of tin and terne plates in the manner
described and illustrated in the Drawings, the bulging of the plates, which is
commonly produced by the tongs of the workmen used for removing the plates
from and introducing them into the vessels in which the plates are treated, is
avoided, and the superfluous metal which accumulates at the lower halves and
bottom edges of the plates is removed. Tin and terne plates of better quality
than the ordinary manufacture are thereby produced. The grease and metal
used are also economized.
Although in practice I have found that a crank and connecting rod answer
satisfactorily for removing the series of plates from and introducing them into
the several pans or vessels in which the said plates are treated, "yet other
equivalent mechanical arrangements may be used in place of the said crank
and connecting rod...
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in the manu-
facture of tin and terne plates, and in machinery or apparatus to be used in
the said manufacture,―
Firstly, introducing the plates to be tinned or coated in a vertical position
into a frame or cage situated in the first grease pan, and removing the said
cage and plates from the said grease pan into and out of the tinning pot and
into the washman's pot by mechanical means, instead of by hand, as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in order to
prevent the bulging of the plates, which is commonly produced by the tongs
used by the workmen in the ordinary method of manufacture, and thereby
producing an improved quality of plates.
Secondly, removing and collecting the superfluous țin or terne metal from
the lower halves of the plates, and also the tin or terne metal which usually
accumulates on the bottom edges of the plates and forms a ridge there, by
supporting the said plates after their removal from the second grease pot in
a rack on an iron plate floating or fixed on a bath of melted tin or terne
metal, thereby improving the quality of the plates and economizing the tin
or terne metal, as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.

page_text: Thirdly, economizing the grease used in the manufacture of the said plates
by passing them between a pair of rolls or pairs of rolls, by the pressure of
which the grease is removed and can be collected, as herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Lastly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of the
machinery or apparatus used in carrying out the said improvements herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Leyshon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE LEYSHON. (L.s.)