Improvements in Machinery for Oleaning Tin and Terne Plates.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Oleaning Tin and Terne Plates.
I. JAMES ABBOTT, of Chapel Terrace, Blaina, in the county of Monmouth, engineer,
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:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery for cleaning tin and terne
plates and is a development of the invention which forms the subject of a former
application made by me for Letters Patent No. 7366 of 1889.
As in the said former invention, the plates are passed through a pair of troughs
successively, being reversed when transferred from the first to the second, but, instead
of being impelled through the " bran or other cleansing substance by means of
forked arms, the plates are, under this invention, gripped by spring clips fitted at the
extremities of arins centred on a shaft extending transversely across each trough.
The arms are rotated by suitable gearing acting upon the transverse shafts, and the
arrangement is such that the plates instead of being forced through the "bran
drawn through it.
"
are
When the clips, which are normally kept closed by a spring, arrive at that end of
the first trough at which the plates are fed they are acted upon by guides fixed in the
trough and the springs being thereby extended, the clips are opened. Into the open
clips is received the lower end of a plate upon which the clips close as soon as they
have passed clear of the guides.
In this manner the plate is drawn through the first trough on arriving at the
opposite end of which it is released from the clips and tilted by pivotted levers into
the clips on the arms of the second trough through which the plate is drawn having
that face uppermost which in the first trough was undernost.
On arriving at the delivery end of the second trough the plate is released from the
clips and delivered on to a delivery table. The mechanism udmits of regulation to
accommodate plates of various sizes, and liability to buckling is obviated.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 represents a plan and
Fig. 2 a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved machinery for cleaning tin
and terne plates in which this invention consists.
Arranged one behind the other are troughs a and a¹ for containing the "bran" or
other substance in which the plates are dipped for the purpose, as is well understood,
of removing the grease adhering to them after their passage-through the grease pot.
Extending transversely across the trough a is a shaft b.
A similar shaft 6' extends across the trough a¹.
The shafts b, bare carried in bearings at each side of the troughs and are rotated
by suitable gearing. Secured upon the shaft 6 of the trough a are arms c, and upon
the shaft 6' of the trough a' similar arms c¹. At each extremity of the arms care
clips & which are normally kept closed by the springs e anchored to the arms and to
one of the limbs of the clips d which limb is pivotted on the arm.
The arms c¹ have similar clips d' with springs e¹². At the rear end of the trough a
at each side thereof are levers pivotted to brackets g fixed to the trough. Similar
levers pivotted to brackets gl are provided at the delivery end of the trough a'.
Each plate p to be cleansed is fed from the front end of the trough a each clip d of
which on arriving at the receiving point is opened by coming into contact with the
top curved end of the guide h.
The bottom end of the plate is inserted in the open clips which after passing, as the
arms c rotate, clear of the guides h, close upon the plate by the action of the springs e.
Thus gripped the plate is drawn through the bran and, on arriving at the rear end of
the trough a, the bars which connect the pivotted limbs of the clips d come into

page_text: contact with the backs of the upper part of the levers of which are accordingly tilted,
the lower part being moved to the stops i and carrying the plate p with them.
When the lower part of the levers bears against the stops i the clips open and the
released plate drops into clips d' of the arms c of the second trough a¹ and is gripped
and drawn through the trough in the same way as hereinbefore described with
reference to its passage through the first trough a, but having that face uppermost
which was undermost while the plate was being drawn through the trough a. The
trough a¹ is furnished with guides for opening the clips to grip the plates as
they are received from the clips d of the arms c of the trough a.
After the plate has been transferred to the clips d' the bar of the clips of the
arms c from which the plate has been received, pass over and beyond the levers f.
The latter return to their normal position after the bar of the clips & has passed.
over and beyond them.
On arriving at the delivery end of the trough a¹ the plates are delivered on to the
tablet in the same manner as that in which they are transferred from the trough a to
the trough a¹.
In conclusion, I do not specifically claim the use of two troughs placed adjacent to
one another and through which the plates are passed in succession and reversed, as
these features are described and claimed in the complete specification of the invention
forming the subject of my said former application for Letters Patent No. 7366 of 1889,
but what I claim is :-
1. The use, in conjunction with a double-trough tin and terne plate cleaning
machine, of arms rotated in the troughs by suitable means, and provided at their
extremities with clips, or their equivalents, by which the plates are automatically
gripped and drawn through the bran and automatically released for transfer from the
first trough to the second, and from the second trough to tho delivery table sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The clips d, d¹ for gripping the plates and normally closed under the influence
of springs e, e, the guides h, h, the levers f,¹ pivotted in brackets such as g, g¹ and
the stops i ¹, or their equivalents, to assist in opening the clips for the purpose of
releasing the plates therefrom, substantially as herein before described.
3. The combination of parts constituting the improved machine for cleaning tin
and terne plates, constructed, arranged and operating for cleaning first one face of
the plates and subsequently the other, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 11th day of June 1889.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Applicant's Agent.