Improvements in Machinery for Breaking Pig Iron and for Loading the same into Wagons.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Breaking Pig Iron and for Loading
the same into Wagons.
We, EDWARD PRITCHARD MARTIN, of Dowlais, in the County of Glamorgan,
General Manager of Iron and Steel Works, and ENOCH JAMES, of 195 Newport
Road, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Manager of Iron and Steel Works,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention consists, firstly, in a specially designed machine for separating
from the sow and otherwise breaking a series of pigs raised together, as one mass,
Ji
from the casting bed by a crane or like appliance, or other suitable means.
consists further in apparatus for loading into wagons the pig iron thus broken.
The breaking machine, which is preferably actuated by hydraulic power, but
may be worked by steam, compressed air or other motive agent, is constructed
and arranged substantially as follows. Carried in a frame bridging over a space
between two walls or other suitable supports is a vertical ram the plunger of which
works through the bottom of the cylinder. and is fitted at its lower end with a head
somewhat after the manner of the hammer head of a steam hammer. At that end
of the machine at which the sow and adhering pigs are fed is a pair of arms
connected to a rocking shaft. By these arms the mass is advanced or fed to the
ram aforesaid.
When thus sufficiently advanced the mass is clamped by a block operated by a
wedge-shaped lever actuated from a separate ram cylinder. The plunger aforesaid
is then lowered and as many pigs as the head has capacity for are thereby snapped
off from the sow and also severed at or about midway. The pig-breaking ram is
then withdrawn and the clamping block raised. By the arms above mentioned the
mass is again advanced and the processes of clamping and breaking repeated.
Simultaneously with the second and subsequent down strokes of the pig-breaking
plunger the plunger of a ram employed for breaking the sow descends upon
that part
of the latter from which the pigs have been separated by the immediately previous
down stroke of the pig-breaking plunger. This said part of the sow accordingly
broken into lengths approximating to that of one half of a pig. These operations
are repeated until the sow and the whole series of pigs are broken up.
The pig iron thus broken is precipitated on to a shute or inclined table the angle
of inclination of which may be altered at will, actuation being effected by steam or
other motive agent. By this shute the iron is guided into wagons placed below for
its reception. Even and regular distribution of the broken iron in the wagon is
obtained by shifting the shute when required and by varying the position of the
wagon below.
Dated this 28th day of TuL 1901
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
0 Improvements in Machinery for Breaking Pig Iron and for Loading
the same into Wagons..
We, EDWARD PRITCHARD MARTIN, of Dowlais, in the County of Glamorgan,
General Manager of Iron and Steel Works, and ENOCH JAMES, of 195 Newport
Road, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Manager of Iron and Steel Works,
5 do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
I Price 77

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention consists, firstly, in a specially designed machine for separating
from the sow and otherwise breaking a series of pigs raised together, as one mass,
from the casting bed by a crane or like appliance, or other suitable means.
It
consists further in apparatus for loading into wagons the pig iron thus broken.
The breaking machine, which is preferably actuated by hydraulic power but may
be worked by steam, compressed air or other motive agent, is constructed and
arranged substantially as follows. Carried in a frame bridging over
a space
between two walls or other suitable supports is a ram cylinder the plunger of which
works through the bottom of the said cylinder and is fitted at its lower end with a
head somewhat after the manner of the hammer-head of a steam hammer. At that
end of the machine at which the sow and adhering pigs are fed for breaking is a
pair of arms connected to a rocking shaft. These arms are fitted at their lower
ends with pawls for advancing the mass to the ram aforesaid. When sufficiently
advanced, the mass is clamped by a block operated by a wedge-shaped lever
actuated by a separate ram. The plunger aforesaid is then lowered and as many
pigs as the head has capacity for are thereby snapped off from the sow and also
severed at or about midway. The pig-breaking ram plunger is then withdrawn
and the clamping block raised. By the arms and pawls above mentioned the mass
is again advanced and the processes of clamping and breaking repeated.
Simultaneously with the second and subsequent down strokes of the pig-breaking
plunger, the plunger of a ram employed for breaking the sow descends upon that part
of the latter from which the pigs have been separated by the immediately previous
down stroke of the pig-breaking plunger. This said part of the sow is accordingly
broken into lengths approximating to that of one half of a pig. These operations
are repeated until the sow and the whole series of pigs are broken up.
The pig iron thus broken is precipitated on to a shute or inclined table preferably
formed of heavy rails with longitudinal openings for sand to fall through, which
shute may either be fixed or capable of movement on hinges. By this shute the
iron is guided into wagons placed below for its reception.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 a view at the feeding
end, of our improved machine as arranged for hydraulic operation for breaking pig
iron.
At Fig. 1 is illustrated also means we employ for loading the broken pig from
the machine into wagons.
Supported in a suitable frame a is a ram cylinder b the plunger c of which is
furnished with a cross-head d fitted with three breaking hammer-heads e. The
pigs and sow g, raised as one mass from the casting bed are supported at one end
on a trolley h, Fig. 1, and are directed to pass on bearers to the hammers e,
Fig. 1.
The mass is fed to the hammers by the lever i, ¹ carried on the rocking shaft j,
the levers being connected at their lower ends to the shaft k¹ carrying pawls k.
The lever is connected at the upper end by the link 1, Figs. 2 and 3, to the
plunger of a ram cylinder 2 by means of which it is operated to feed the mass
forward to be broken. When, by the operation of the said plunger 1, the levers i, i¹
and the pawls k, the mass of iron is advanced to the requisite extent to commence
breaking, it is clamped by the clamping block m which is lowered on to the sow by
means of the wedge-shaped arm n connected to the plunger o of the ram cylinder o¹
by which plunger o the arm n is thrust forward into an inclined slot made in the
head p to which the block m is connected. A detached view of the clamping device
is shown at Fig. 4.
The mass of iron having been clamped, as aforesaid, the plunger c of the ram
cylinder bis then lowered and by the hammer heads e three pigs are successively
snapped off from the sow and also severed at or about midway. The plunger c is

page_text: then drawn up and the mass of iron is released by raising the clamping block m.
The levers i, are then set in operation to feed the mass of iron further forward
and the operations of clamping and pig breaking are repeated.
Simultaneously, or nearly so, with the second and subsequent down strokes of the
plunger c, the ram 9 working in the cylinder is lowered on to the sow g and that
part thereof from which the pigs were removed in the immediately previous down
stroke of the ram c is broken up by the hammer head s into lengths approximating
to that of one half of a pig.
The return or up strokes of all the rams are obtained as usual by the provision of
constant pressure rams t.
The aforesaid operations are repeated until the sow and the whole series of pigs
are broken up.
The pig iron thus broken up descends on to a shute u by which it is delivered
into wagons drawn
up on rails in a hauling way as seen at Fig. 1.
As illustrated in the drawing the shute u is fixed. It may, however, be hinged
at the upper end if desired, and be designed to be moved by hydraulic or other
power so as to alter the angle of inclination at will and to be worked backwards
and forwards over the wagons.
Instead of being operated by hydraulic power the various plungers in the
breaking machine may be actuated by steam or other suitable motive agent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A machine for breaking pig-iron, raised as one mass with the sow from
the casting bed, the said machine comprising a ram or hammer for breaking
one or more pigs at each down stroke, a second ram or hammer for breaking
the sow, a third ran for clamping the mass in position for breaking, and a
fourth ram for feeding the mass to the breaking rams, all constructed arranged
and operating (either by hydraulic power or other suitable motive agent)
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying sheets
of illustrative drawings.
2. Mechanism for feeding the pig iron to the breaking rams, the said
mechanism consisting of the pawls k, pawl shaft k², rocking shaft j, levers i, i
and link actuated by the ram referred to in the preceding claim as the fourth
or feeding ram, all arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. Mechanism for clamping the mass of pig iron preparatory to breaking, the
said mechanism consisting of the block m between which and a bearer the sow
is gripped, and a wedge shaped arm u working in a correspondingly-shaped slot
in the head p to which the block is suspended, the said wedge-shaped arm
being actuated by the ram referred to in the above first claim as the third or
clamping ram, as hereinbefore described and shown in the appended drawings.
น
4. The combination with a machine such as is hereinbefore described for
breaking pig iron, of a shute such as u (either fixed or movable) situated below
the breaking appliances so as to receive the broken iron therefrom and suspended
over a hauling-way for delivery of the iron to trucks or other vehicles, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and shown at Fig. 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this nost 1
1000
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.