IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDING OR SHAPING METALS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sherriff. of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MOULDING OR SHAPING METALS."
Sealed the 19th December 1854, and dated the 2nd October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left bythesaid Thomas Sherriffatthe Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd October
1854.
I, THOMAS SHERRIFF, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOULDING OR SHAPING METALS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction or formatiou of sand or loam
moulds for casting metallic pipes or articles of circular contour, and consists
in forming the mould gradually from the bottom upwards by means of two or
more rollers or pulleys, which are made to run round, and press or roll down,
the sand or loam in continuous thin layers; these rollers being carried by a
lantern or frame, which is made to rotate by a central shaft, upon which it
rises as the mould is being formed. The inner cylindrical surface of the
mould is shaped by a short cylindrical pattern, which rises with the lantern
and rollers as the mould is being formed.
It is preferred to employ conical rollers and to set them on inclined
spindles, so that the lowest parts of their peripheries may be horizontal: or
they may be so set as to give them a slight inclination below, with a view of
pressing the sand or loam slightly inwards or outwards, as may be desirable.
The central shaft revolves in fixed bearings, and the lantern or roller frame is
fitted upon it with a groove and feather; or the shaft may be squared, the boss
Q17

page_text: of the frame being made with a square eye to correspond, so that the lantern
can rise upon the shaft, notwithstanding that it is turned by it. The rollers
are covered by a disc, formed with channels or openings, to admit the sand
down in front of the rollers, the sand being supplied from above. A flexible
tube is fixed to the top of the disc, so as to envelope the central driving shaft,
and prevent the sand from getting into the eye of the lantern boss, and
segmental shields are provided to keep the sand off the top of the pattern, and
to guide it under the rollers. In case any sand gets upon the top of the
pattern, notwithstanding the shields, it will fall through openings provided for
that purpose. According to another modification of the apparatus a screw
blade or screw blades may be substituted for the pulleys or rollers, such
screw turning with the central shaft, and rising upon it; the other details of
the apparatus remaining the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Sherriff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SHERRIFF, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Thomas Sherriff, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Sherriff,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Sherriff, my executors, administrators, or 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,
éxercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MOULDING OR SHAPING METALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Sherriff, by an instrumentin writing under my hand and seal,
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Sherriff, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said invention relates to the construction or formation of sand or loam
moulds for casting metallic pipes or articles of circular contour or cylindrical
transverse section, and consists in forming the mould gradually from the
bottom upwards by means of two or more rollers or pulleys, which are made
to run round, and press or roll down, the sand or loam in continuous thin
layers; these rollers being carried by a lantern or frame, which is made to
rotate by a central shaft, upon which it rises as the mould is being formed.
The inner cylindrical surface of the mould is shaped by a short cylindrical
pattern (its upper surface being conical), which rises with the lantern and
rollers as the mould is being formed. It is preferred to employ conical rollers
and to set them on inclined spindles, so that the lowest parts of their peri-
pheries may be horizontal, or they may be so set as to give them a slight
inclination below, with a view of pressing the sand or loam slightly inwards or
outwards, as may be desirable. The central shaft revolves in fixed bearings,
and the lantern or roiler frame is fitted upon it with a groove and feather; or
the shaft may be squared, the boss of the frame being made with a square eye
to correspond, so that the lantern can rise upon the shaft, notwithstanding
that it is turned by it. The rollers are covered by a disc, formed with channels
or openings, to admit the sand down in front of the rollers, the sand being
supplied from above. A tube is fixed to the top of the disc, so as to envelope
the central driving shaft, and prevent the sand from getting into the eye of
the lantern boss, and segmental shields are provided to keep the sand off the
top of the pattern and to guide it under the rollers. In case any sand gets
upon the top of the pattern, notwithstanding the presence of the shields, it
will fall through openings provided for that purpose. According to another
modification of the apparatus, a screw blade or screw blades may be substi-
tuted for the pulleys or rollers, such screw turning with the central shaft,
and rising upon it; the other details of the apparatus remaining the same. By
a slight modification of the parts, articles of right-lined transverse section
and other forms may be moulded by this apparatus.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the explanatory Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto attached.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section of a mould box, as

page_text: fitted with my improved apparatus for forming a pipe mould, this apparatus
being represented in elevation within and above the, mould box; and
Figure. 2 is a vertical section taken at right angles to Figure 1 of the mould
box and moulding apparatus. The mould box A is a cylindrical-iron casting,
. formed in two halves and bolted together by the longitudinal flanges B, so
that it can be separated for the purpose of removing the pipe cast in the
mould formed in it. A grooved, feathered, or square shaft C passes up
vertically through the axis or longitudinal centre line of the mould box, being
driven from below in any convenient manner, and upon this shaft is passed a
lantern piece D. This lantern is of the shape of an inverted cup, and is
formed with a tubular boss E, which fits upon the shaft C in such a manner
that the lantern turns with the shaft, being at the same time free to traverse
longitudinally or vertically upon it. Beneath or within the lantern D are four
rollers F, which run upon spindles fixed in radiating and inclined positions
in the lantern, and lying at equal distances apart round the boss E. The
positions of the rollers Fare such that the lowermost points of their peripheries
for the time being are also the outermost points, the rollers being at these
points just clear of the internal surface of the mould box A. The peripheries of
the rollers correspond in width to the thickness to be given to the thickness
of the sand or loam portion of the mould, as at G. The precise dimensions and
shape of the internal surface of the mould as formed, by means of the present
apparatus,is determined by ashort cylindrical pattern pieceH,havingitsupper
surface conical, made of cast iron or otherwise, and connected by arms to a
central boss I, which is carried loosely upon the boss Eofthe lantern, moving up
with the latter. The upper outer edge of the pattern piece H coincides with
the inner and lowermost points of the rollers F. The top of the lantern piece
D is formed with turned-up flanges J, arranged so as to form channels for
guiding the sand or loam down in front of the rollers F.. The sand or loam is
fed in from above, and finds its way down to the rollers F. The shaft C being
made to revolve, it carries round the lantern D and the rollers F, and these
rollers roll or press down the sand or loam between the pattern piece H and
the internal surface of the mould box A, and so form the mould. As the
operation continues, the sand or loam gradually increases in depth beneaththe
rollers, and these gradually rise, carrying up with them the lantern piece D
and the pattern piece H; and the sand or loam being supplied continuously,
this action goes on until the mould is completed throughout its entire length
or height. The apparatus will of course form the mould of uniform section
throughout, and fancets or flanges, if required, must necessarily be made by
a separate operation. The sand is almost entirely prevented from falling

page_text: through the central openings in the pattern piece Hby conical shield pieces K,
which are connected to the lantern boss E in such a manner as to fill up the
spaces between and within the rollers F; but if any particles of sand or loam
should find their way into the interior of the lantern, they will not remain, and
so choke up the space, but will fall freely away through the pattern piece H.
The sand or loam is prevented from getting into the boss E of the lantern piece
by a tube L, fitted to the top of the lantern piece, and rising up with it. The
sand or loan may be fed in, in the ordinary manner; I prefer, however, to
employ the apparatus represented in my Drawings for regulating the feed.
This apparatus consists of a hopper M, supported above the mouth of the
mould box A by the rods N. A circular opening O, concentric with the
mould box, is formed in the bottom of the hopper, and to this opening is
applied a conical valve piece P, by raising or lowering which the opening O
may be diminished or increased, and the feed of the sand or loam thereby
regulated at pleasure. The sand or loam passes out of the hopper by 'the
annular space between the cone P and the bottom of the hopper, and it
is prevented from being scattered outside the mould box by the cylindrical
curtain Q. The sand or loam thus falls down the mould box to the mould-
ing rollers in a continuous uniform stream, the hopper M. being kept con-
stantly supplied. The conical valve piece P is formed with a tubular boss R,
fitting loosely upon the tube L, and the upper portion of this boss is formed
with collars, to retain two rings. S, T, by means of which the conical valve
piece P is raised or lowered for regulating the feed of the sand or loam. The
lower ring S is formed with radial arms U, upon which are sliding blocks V,
formed with inclined under sides. These blocks V lie upon inclined flanges W,
cast upon the top of the hopper M, and thereby support the boss Ŕ and
conical valve piece P. The blocks V are connected by links X to the ring T,
which has arms or hand levers Y fixed to it, so that by turning it the links X
may be angled, so as to draw in or push out the blocks V. By drawing in
these blocks V, they will obviously be made to rise up the inclined flanges W,
these flanges being inclined upwards towards the centre of the hopper, and
this action will lift up the conical valve piece P, and close the feed opening O
more or less, whilst the reverse movement will of course have the effect of
opening this feed aperture. The hardness of the sand or loam at G forming
the mould depends on the friction of the pattern piece Hagainst the internal
surface of the mould, which friction has the effect of retarding the upward
motion of the lantern and rollers. The weight of the lantern and rollers, if
unbalanced, also aids the downward pressure on the mould as it is being
formed, and this downward pressure may obviously be modified by adapting

page_text: balance weights to the lantern to counteract the action of the weight. One
mode of applying apparatus for this purpose is represented in the Drawings
hereunto attached. The upper end of the tube Lis formed with an external
groove, into which fits an annular supporting piece Z. This supporting piece
is formed with slides, which work on the vertical guides a, depending from a
carriage b, supported on wheels c upon a pair of parallel beams d above. The
supporting piece Z is suspended to chains e, passing over pulleys loose upon
the spindles of the wheelsc, down to counterweights f, and by these means the
weight or part of the weight of the lantern piece D and its accompanying
details is taken off, the mould being formed. The shaft C can be drawn out
of the mould by means of a chain g, to which it is suspended. This chain
passes over a pair of pulleys h upon the carriage b above, and descends to
a small winch i below, carried by brackets fixed to the guides a. The spindle
of one pair of the running wheels c of the carriage b above has fixed upon it
a pulley or wheelj, round which a cord is passed. This card / descends to
within the reach of the attendant, and when a mould is completed he raises
the details of the moulding apparatus out of the mould, and then, by means
of the cord, causes the carriage to traverse along the beams d, and convey
the apparatus away from over the mould box. A contrivance is represented
on the Drawings hereunto attached for forming fillet recesses in the mould
as the formation of the mould goes on. One of these fillets is represented
in Figure 1, as formed in the mould at l This fillet is produced by fillet
pieces m, which revolve with the shaft C, and press in the sand of the mould
where the fillet is to be made. The fillet formers or shapers m, which may be
two or more in number, are carried upon the ends of arins n, radiating from the
shaft C, and working in radial slots in the boss o upon the shaft. The inner
ends of the arms » enter longitudinal grooves in the shaft C, and in these
grooves raised portions are formed at intervals, corresponding to the positions at
which the fillets are to be formed in the mould; or the raised portions may be
external to the shaft, and grooves may be formed in the boss E for them to
pass through. When the arms n come opposite to the raised portions on the
shaft, the arms are forced outwards, and cause the fillet formers m to enter
slightly into the sides of the mould, when the revolution of the shaft, as it were,
turns out the fillets l. When the arms are past the raised portions of the
shaft, they are drawn inwards by springs p, and the fillet formers m are made
to recede within the inner surface of the mould, until the point is reached at
which another fillet is to be formed. The carriage for carrying the moulding
box may be made in various ways, but I prefer to suspend the boxes from the
carriage, the one-half of the box being a dead fixture to the carriage by the

page_text: vertical flange, the other half of the box being fixed by pins and bolts to its
neighbour. These carriages have each four pairs of wheels, two pairs of these
being fitted with eccentrics, so that when required to be moved at a right
angle the eccentrics are moved round on their axles to the opposite side;
by these means the other two pairs are raised off the rail to allow the carriage
to move on the rails placed at right angles.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe, or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery, apparatus,
or means to be employed in moulding or shaping metals, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of forming moulds for casting articles of circular
contour or cylindrical transverse section by means of a moveable pattern piece
and a roller or rollers, which rollers are carried in a revolving frame, and roll
or press down the material of which the mould is being formed between the
pattern piece and the inside of the mould box, the pattern piece and rollers
rising as the formation of the mould goes on, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of forming moulds for casting articles of circular
contour or cylindrical transverse section by means of an inclined blade or
blades turned by a central shaft, upon which the blade or blades rise as
the formation of the mould progresses, such inclined blades being used in
combination with a pattern piece which rises with them, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Sherriff, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
THOMAS SHERRIFF. (L.S.)