Sheets, Plates, or Pieces of Iron or other Metal.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Oct., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
Sheets, Plates, or Pieces of Iron or other Metal.
I, EDMUND MOREWOOD of Llanelly in the County of Carmarthen Tin Plate Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In order to improve the coating upon metal plates and like pieces in process of
tinning or coating by means of rollers I make use of metallic rubbers which are them-
selves well tinned or covered with the coating metal.
These metal coated rubbers are arranged to work beneath the surface of grease at a
temperature such as to keep the coating metal in a molten state.
The rubbers are held together by springs and by eccentrics or otherwise and alter-
nating movement is imparted to them."
The coated plates or pieces are passed between these rubbers.
The plates or pieces should be presented by rollers beneath the rubbers. These
rollers carry the plates or pieces forward between the rubbers and hold them firmly
whilst the rubbers act upon them. The movement of the rubbers should be across
the path in which the plates or pieces travel. The movement of the rubbers may be
circular or curvilinear.
Every part of the surface plate or piece should be passed over by the rubber to and
fro several times.
The plate or piece after passing between the rubbers should be operated upon by
finishing or improving rollers; these are preferably arranged immediately above the
rubbers and partially immersed in the grease; they receive and carry forward the
plate as it passes from the rubbers.
The rubbers are perforated so that any scruff or undesirable matter which they
remove from the surfaces of the plates or pieces may readily escape.
The springs which hold the rubbers against the surfaces of the plate or piece are so
arranged as to be adjustable at any time when the apparatus is at work, the adjusting
parts being above the grease.

page_text: The plates or pieces may be presented to the rubbers by a rising and falling cradle
but it is preferable to employ rollers and these rollers may advantageously be fed with
melted coating metal from troughs placed immediately beneath them.
When rubbers are thus employed the plates or pieces need not remain so long as
usual in contact with the coating metal, in consequence of this less scruff is produced
and a better yield is obtained.
These rubbers may be employed to apply coating metal to the plates or pieces
without immersing the plates or pieces therein.
Some advantage is obtained when the plates or pieces are passed between the
rubbers or instruments even when these are so set as not absolutely to rub over the
surface; they agitate the flux in the narrow space between the rubber or instrument
and the surface of the plate or piece in such a way as to cause scruff and undesirable
matter to be swept off more or less completely.
Metal coated rubbers may be employed otherwise than immersed in grease but they
must be well covered with the coating metal and this must be in a melted or soft state
both on the surface of the rubber and on that of the plate or piece.
I sometimes employ rubbers of hemp as a substitute for the brushes commonly used.
I connect these rubbers in pair to operate simultaneously on both sides of the plate or
piece and I apply adjustable springs as already described to draw the rubbers together
so that the plate or piece may be lightly nipped between them.
When passing plates or pieces between the rollers in the process of coating and
improving and finishing the coating I make use of rollers four or more abreast.
The middle or intermediate pair or pairs of rollers, usually of smaller diameter, are
those which hold the plate or piece between them.
These middle rollers are not carried in bearings but are supported by the outer
rollers and other rollers beneath. The middle rollers are kept in position by the other
rollers and are driven only by frictional contact with them.
The supporting rollers are driven by toothed wheels or otherwise and are pressed
inwards by springs which yield to permit the plates or pieces to pass between the
middle rollers.
I drive the rollers also through springs or buffers in place of by driving wheels
rigidly fixed to them to lessen the jar as the plates or pieces enter and leave the
rollers.
To keep the middle rollers in place longitudinally annular grooves and ridges or
other like interlocking parts are provided upon them and upon the supporting rollers.
When these rollers are employed in finishing the surface of plates or pieces as they
are withdrawn from hot grease the lower supporting rollers may in some cases be
provided with troughs to which melted coating metal is supplied and these rollers
will then feed the middle rollers with coating metal which these in turn will apply to
the surfaces of the plates or pieces.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Coating with Tin or other Coating Metal
Sheets, Plates, or Pieces of Iron or other Metal.
I EDMUND MOOREWOOD of Llanelly in the County of Carmarthen Tin Plate Manu-
facturer 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:-
In order to improve the coating upon metal plates and like pieces in process of
tinning or coating by means of rollers I make use of metallic rubbers which are them-
selves well tinned or covered with the coating metal.
These metal coated rubbers are arranged to work beneath the surface of grease at a
temperature such as to keep the coating metal in a molten state.
The rubbers are held together by springs and by eccentrics or otherwise an alter-
nating, movement is imparted to them.
The coated plates or pieces are passed between these rubbers.
The plates or pieces should be presented by rollers beneath the rubbers. These
rollers carry the plates or pieces forward between the rubbers and hold them firmly
whilst the rubbers act upon them.
Every part of the surface plate or piece should be passed over by the rubber to and
fro several times.
The plate or piece after passing between the rubbers should be operated upon by
finishing or improving rollers, these are preferably arranged immediately above the
rubbers and partially immersed in the grease; they receive and carry forward the
plate as it passes from the rubbers.
The rubbers are perforated so that any scruff or undesirable matter which they
remove from the surfaces of the plates or pieces may readily escape.
The springs which hold the rubbers against the surfaces of the plate or piece are so
arranged as to be adjustable at any time when the apparatus is at work, the adjusting
parts being above the grease.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a grease pot provided with rubbers and arranged in
accordance with my invention as above described.
a is the pot which is charged with the usual grease flux employed in finishing tin
plate, it is set in brickwork with a fire place in the usual manner and the grease is
heated to a temperature somewhat above the melting point of the tin or coating metal
bbare the metal rubbers, preferably they are wrought iron plates perforated as is
shown by the Figures 2 and well coated with the coating metal.
"
cc are metal coated rollers beneath the rubbers they present the plates to the rubbers
and hold them fast whilst they are exposed to friction between the rubbers.
dd are metal coated rollers which receive the plates as they rise from the rubbers
these rollers finish the surface and deliver the plates out of the grease pot. The
rollers c and d are driven at the same surface speed and by usual means.
The rubbers are jointed to the extremities of the arms ee which are fixed upon
bars ff These bars are able to slide and also to turn in their bearings and they are

page_text: connected with eccentrics (diametrically opposite) by which they are moved to and
fro. A convenient arrangement is to provide an over head horizontal shaft at right
angles to the bars ff. On the shaft the two eccentrics are mounted and the eccentric
rod in each case is jointed to one end of a right angle lever which is thus caused to
rock in a vertical plane; the other arm of the lever is connected with the bar f which
in this way is caused to slide to and fro in its bearings. Each rubber may thus be
made to travel a distance say of two or three inches more or less. The bars ff also
have other arms attached to them (not shown in the drawing) and to these springs are
connected which operate to press the rubbers together The springs are adjustable by
means of screws and nuts.
The plates coming from the tinning or coating pot are introduced into the pot a by
the spaces a¹ a on either side (the arms e e being wide enough to admit of this) and
the plates are received by a cradle which lifts them to the nip of the rollers cc. The
cradle is not shown in this Figure but in Figure 4 a suitable cradle is repre-
sented gg are small feeding troughs which I sometimes provide beneath the rollers c I
supply them with melted coating metal into which the rollers dip or if a separate
supply to the troughs yg be not provided the plates coming from the coating pot with
a heavy coating upon them will suffice to keep the troughs full of coating metal hare
shields to prevent the flux in which the rollers c and d revolve being disturbed by the
plates entering at a¹ a¹ and to facilitate the maintenance of a clean surface for the exit
of the plates The shields are so shaped as not to interfere with the movements of-
the arms ee.
The shields may in some cases be dispensed with The troughs gg then being
suspended by rods.
Sometimes I so adjust the rubbers that there is a narrow space between them.
· Through this narrow lane or opening the plate or piece in process of coating or
finishing passes or travels and by the movement of the plate or rubbers currents are
set up in the narrow space which sweep or rub on the surface of the melted coating
and smooth level or remove some of it. It is important that the surfaces against
which the platos rub should be well coated or tinned with the coating metal, also
where the rubbing surfaces are broad that escape openings should be provided as
shown in Figures 2.
In place of employing one pair of rubbers b. b. I may employ several pairs of
rubbers moving independently and this is preferable except in that it somewhat
complicates the mechanism.
The rubbers in this case are narrow say each three quarters of an inch wide so that
several of them occupy only the same or nearly the same space as the rubbers shewn
in Figure 1.
The coated metal rubbers in each case apply the coating metal to the surface of the
plate as in soldering with a soldering iron, they serve to level and improve or finish
the coating on surfaces of the metal plates which have been coated, or are in process
of coating and plates to be so treated may remain a shorter time in contact with the
melted coating metal in the coating pot than is usual when such plates are submitted
to the usual mode of brushing over by hand and when metal coated rubbers are not
employed.
I find it important that when the plates or suitable pieces which are presented to or
operated upon by the rubbers under the grease such plates or pieces should be free
from scruff or other undesirable matter before they are presented to or acted upon by
such rubber or rubbers as every part of the plate or piece in travelling between the
rubbers is more or less pressed or acted upon by such rubbing surfaces and more or
less of the scruff or undesirable matter which remains on the surface of the plate or
piece is liable to be pressed or bedded on to or into the coating or coated surface by
pressure between such rubbers so that it remains fixed as part of the coating.
In order to clean and prepare the coating or coated surface of the plates or pieces
and to make such surfaco suitable and fit for travelling or passing through or between
such rubbers I find it well sometimes to use mechanical rubbers of hemp to which

page_text: motion is given so that they act upon the plates which have received a coating but
before they enter between the melted metal coated rubbers.
Figure 3 shows in section a pair of hempen rubbers i they are in the form of
cylindrical brushes and they are mounted over the tinning pot so that the plates pass
between them as they emerge from the pot. The brushes may be provided with wire
teeth amongst the hemp which however do not project sufficiently to come into contact
with the plates but serve to support the hempen fibre. These rubbers are caused to
rotate slowly in a direction opposite to that in which the plates rise between them k kare
troughs containing comparatively cool grease say at a temperature just above or below
the melting point of the coating metal. 1, 1, are metal bars to scrape off or remove from
the brushes any matter which may adhere to them. The parts i k and are all
mounted on the top of the pot so that the plates emerge from the pot between the
rubbers or brushes the axes of which are carried in bearings.
Or the rubber of hemp may have a travel or rub over and against or along the
melted coated surface of the plate or piece which may be similar to the movement or
rub of the band or endless chain hereinafter described, and shown in Figure 5. But
the hemp rubber must not be immersed in melted metal or in grease of that tem-
perature although a little warm grease may from time to time be applied to assist the
hemp in keeping in good working order and clear from scruff which may be
occasionally knocked off or removed by a bar in the workmans hand.
The coating plate or piece undergoing this operation may be stationary or held in
the workman's instruments whilst the rubber travels over and acts upon either one or
both sides of its surface.
These hempen rubbers are furnished with springs by which they are pressed against
the plates; these springs are adjustable..
As already stated it is preferable generally that the plates or pieces should be
presented to the rubbers by melted metal coated rollers as c. c. in Figure 1 for these
hold the plates or pieces firmly and steadily and pass them on to the rubbers.
But it is also important that the plates or pieces coated or in process of coating
should be freed from scruff or undesirable matter before they enter or pass between
such rollers otherwise they leave a mark stain or undesirable matter upon the metal
coated face of the rollers and this is afterwards imprinted on the plates.
If the coated or coating plates are not sufficiently clean or free from undesirable
matter I employ a rising and falling cradle instead of rollers to receive such coating
plates and to raise them into the nip of the rubbers instead of employing rollers for
that purpose.
Figure 4 shows a vertical section of a grease pot in which plates are lifted by a
cradle and presented by the cradle directly to the rubbers. I sometimes employ
rubbers having a circular or curvilinear movement and such rubbers are represented
in this figure.
a is the pot as in figure 1 m² m² are the parts of a double cradle which are alter-
nately raised and lowered by the mechanism indicated in the Figure n. are the
rubbers they travel in a circular direction being mounted on axes which are rotated in
opposite directions and so that the rubbers where the plate is between them move the
opposite way to the plate and so operate effectually as rubbers to rub the surfaces d d are
metal coated delivery rollers above the rubbers-they are mounted and driven in the
usual manner are feeding troughs beneath the rubbers and containing melted
coating metal through which the rubbers pass. The cradle m² is shown in position to
receive the plate which takes the position marked 1. The cradle m¹ will now descend
to a position corresponding to that occupied by the cradle m² to the left of the figure.
The cradle m³ is in its lowest position; the plate which it previously supported at the
higher level has dropped to the position marked 2. When the cradle m* commences
to ascend the lower portion of it now supporting the plate and which is jointed to the
upper part as shown assumes such a position that the upper end of the plate is thrown
inwards against the central guide; and then as the cradle rises the plate
carried up
between the rubbers to a position corresponding to that in which the plate marked. 3 is
shown.

page_text: Sometimes I provide perforated rubbers NN above the delivery rollers dd. These
rubbers N N are pressed together by springs in the manner described in respect to the
rubbers bb in Figure 1 but they need not receive movement the friction of the plates
against the rubbers NN as they rise from the delivery rollers dd will be sufficient.
The rollers d d work so far slack as to allow the plates or pieces to bring up a sufficient
coating on their surface to keep the faces of these stationary rubbers well and
sufficiently tinned or coated.
The plates may be brought to the apparatus after having been coated in a coating
pot but sometimes I commence with bare plates suitably prepared by pickling. When
such plates are passed between the rubbers these apply the melted coating metal to
the surfaces of the plate in a manner analogous to soldering with a soldering iron and
a good coating is thus obtained.
The plates may be passed several times between the rubbers as may be found
necessary. This process is very applicable to the tinning of copper plates.
The rubbers are adjustable as is usual in the case of rollers and are so set as to be
lightly in contact with the plate so that the plate can be passed upwards between them
with facility.
Sometimes I cause the plates or pieces in process of coating or finishing to travel
between or against a flexible band travelling in the opposite direction to the plate. I
make the band of steel or suitable material or it may be an endless chain or rope of
iron wire or material which will bear the heat and to which I prefer to attach plates
or pieces of flat smooth faces of tinned iron or steel so arranged that the smooth
surfaces of such flat plates or pieces shall be presented to or pass or travel along or
across the surface of the plates in process of coating or finishing.
Figure 5 shows such an arrangement. cc are the receiving rollers and dd the
delivery rollers as in Figure 1. oo are endless bands of tinned or coated steel
forming the rubbers, the adjacent surfaces travel in an opposite direction to the plate
which they receive between them. gg are feeding troughs to contain melted coating
metal to feed the rubbers, it is not however essential that these should be provided.
These endless band rubbers are similar in some respects to the endless chain
washing instruments shown in Figure 3 of my Specification No. 5938 in the year
1883. The difference however is that the chains in this case are arranged to carry up
liquid coating metal to wash the surfaces of the plates and the washing instruments
consequently travel upwards with the plates. The endless band rubbers to which the
present Specification relates are intended to exert a soldering action on the surface of
the plate and consequently the endless bands shown in Figure 5 are driven in such a
manner that their surfaces in contact with the plate travel downwards whilst the plate
ascends between them.
Sometimes I employ rubbers immersed in melted coating metal.
When I cause the plates or pieces of metal to obtain their coating by the use of
rubbers under or in contact with melted coating metal I consider it well that the faces
of the pair of rubbers presented to the plates or pieces passing between them or
against which they travel or rub should not be over three quarters of an inch to one
inch in width and that each plate in process of coating improving or finishing should
pass through or between two or three pair of such rubbers."
I make the width of the rubbers small in order that there may be a ready escape
for scruff or undesirable matter which some of the plates bring with them on entering
the rubbers.
At each space undesirable matter escapes and the surfaces of the plates in process
of coating become cleaner at each passage through the rubbers and the intervening
spaces. Finally I bring them out through a surface of coating metal kept clean by
suitable means.
When the plates or pieces have passed between the rubbers or instruments as
described I usually operate upon them further by causing them to pass on to and
between or against rollers whose surfaces are coated with melted coating metal as
hereinbefore described; but sometimes I use rubbers for finishing without after
rollers.
:

page_text: I find it well in coating improving and finishing plates or pieces of metal to make
use of rollers four or more abreast.
I also find it important when I wish to obtain a close bite or nip on the surface of
the plate which is in process of coating or finishing to use the middle pair between
which such plates or pieces pass of smaller diameter than the outer ones or those which
support the middle pair.
To support such middle rollers and to keep them in position without the ordinary
fixed or stationary bearings I use outside revolving rollers and also rollers revolving
below but in contact with and more or less supporting them.
Figure 6 shows in transverse section such an arrangement of rollers. pp are the
small rollers which exert a nip upon the plates; they are not carried in bearings but
are supported between the upper and lower rollers 99 and r1.
These rollers are metal
coated and revolve more or less immersed in or in contact with grease or flux or
molten metal.
The arrangement shown is intended for grease and feeding troughs or cups 3. s. are
provided beneath the supporting rollers » 1. These rollers then take
up the molten
metal and apply it to the small rollers p. The metal from the troughs keeps the
surfaces of the rollers in good order and improves the coating upon the plates. The
necks of the rollers qy extend beyond the side of the pot and they there receive belt
pulleys. Driving belts pass around the pulleys to other pulleys upon a driving
shaft t. The small rollers p. p. are driven only by friction from the rollers qy and the
supporting rollers are similarly driven by friction from the rollers p. p.
The diameter of the middle pair of rollers p. p. may conveniently be about 2 inches.
I press the upper outside rollers 99 inwards against the middle pair by springs or
elastic matter as india rubber so that they yield to permit the plates or pieces in
process of coating to pass between the middle pair of rollers.
In Figure 7 uu are levers pressing against the bearings of the rollers qq. v v are
rods connected with the levers and ww india rubber springs or buffers.
adjusting screws and nuts.
xx are
When the outside upper rollers are driven through pulleys and belts as shown in
Figure 6 the neck of such rollers should extend so far beyond the body of the rollers
that the point at which the belt works and revolves is not too hot.
To keep the middle pair of rollers in place longitudinally I make annular grooves
and projections to circle round them or other suitable interlocking parts are provided
upon them.
The friction against the supporting rollers and interlocking parts gives suitable
revolving motion to the middle rollers p. p. Such grooves and projections are shown
in Figure 6 they are near the ends of the rollers beyond the parts between which the
plates pass.
may
The form size and position of the outer or supporting rollers
be varied.
When these rollers are employed in finishing the surfaces of plates or pieces in
process of coating the supporting rollers may in some cases (as when a comparatively
heavy coating is desired) be provided with troughs to which melted coating metal of
best quality is supplied and these supporting rollers will then feed the middle pair
which they in turn will apply to the surfaces of the plates or pieces passing between
them.
I would mention finally that some of the features of my present invention will be
found to have been alluded to but not claimed in the specification filed by me on the
25th of January last to my patent application No. 3738 in the year 1885. I do not
now claim generally the use of rubbers but I claim as stated below certain descriptions
of rubbers and appliances in connection therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The use of metallic rubbers tinned or coated with melted coating metal and
immersed partially or wholly in flux or melted coating metal substantially as
described.

page_text: 2. The use of a mechanical rubber of hemp substantially as described.
3. The use in connection with rubbers of springs or elastic connections substantially
as described.
4. The use of eccentrics or like suitable appliances to give motion to rubbers
substantially as described.
5. The use of metallic metal coated rubbers having a circular or curvilinear travel
or movement in a direction opposed to that of the plates or pieces passing between
them substantially as described.
6. The use of rollers presenting plates or pieces to metallic metal coated rubbers
pressed together by springs substantially as described.
7.-The use of rollers withdrawing plates or pieces from metallic metal coated
rubbers substantially as described.
8. The use of metallic metal coated rubbers having slots or spaces allowing the
escape of scruff or undesirable matter substantially as described.
9. The use of cradles presenting plates or pieces to rubbers substantially as
described.
10. The use of metallic metal coated rubbers substantially as described in coating
without immersing the plates or pieces in process of coating in the coating metal.
11. The use of melted metal coated rollers four or more abreast revolving in
melted metal or grease having interlocking grooves or parts and the middle pair driven
by friction substantially as described.
.
12. The use in connection with metal coated rollers four or more abreast of
supporting rollers so arranged substantially as described that a middle pair is supported
without the aid of bearings.
13. The use in combination with the said supporting rollers of feeding troughs or
cups substantially as described.
14. The use of finishing rollers driven by friction and having buffers or springs
applied substantially as described.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.