IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COATING OR COVERING METALLIC SHEETS OR PLATES WITH TIN OR OTHER METALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Matthews, of Abercarne, near Newport, in the County
of Monmouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR COATING OR COVERING METALLIC SHEETS OR PLATES WITH
TIN OR OTHER METALS."
Sealed the 3rd February 1880, and dated the 6th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Matthews at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th August 1879.
_ISAAC MATTHEWS, of Abercarne, near Newport, in the County of Monmouth.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COATING OR COVERING
METALLIC SHEETS OR PLATES WITH TIN OR OTHER METALS."
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery
or apparatus for coating metallic sheets or plates with tin or other metals, and is
more especially applicable to the manufacture or production of tin and terne plates,
whereby the operation is more effectually and expeditiously performed than by the
means heretofore employed.
According to my Invention I employ an annular trough of cast iron or other
suitable material containing the molten metal to be used as the coating or covering.
This trough is heated in any convenient manner so as to maintain the metal therein
in a molten condition. In the centre of the said annular trough there is provided a
vertical shaft or pivot, round which revolves a horizontal disc or frame carrying at
its periphery a number of racks or holders capable of being raised and lowered
within the trough round which they travel. These racks or holders descend to the
bottom, or nearly so, of the annular trough, and are intended to hold the plates to
be coated. The said plates are placed on a moveable part of each rack through a
slot in the grease box whence they are carried round through the molten metal by
the rotation of the racks until they arrive underneath a pair of delivery rolle, at
which point the plate is lifted by the moveable portion of the rack actuated in any
convenient manner (self acting or otherwise) so as to bring the top edge within the
grip of the said rolls, which by their rotation lift the plate out of the trough, and
at the same time pass it between a pair of wire brushes, and thence between &
second pair of rolls which deliver the plate in a finished state. The level of the

page_text: molten metal in the annular trough should reach about to the centres of the lower
pair of delivery rolls, which with the wire brushes and upper pair of rolls are
contained within a box or frame overhanging the trough and containing grease,
which extends up to the centres about of the upper pair of delivery rolls. As fast
as each rack is charged the circular disc or frame is moved round sufficiently to
bring the next or empty rack under the feeding box, at the same time bringing a
charged rack underneath the delivery rolls which deliver the finished plates as fast
as fresh plates are fed in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Isaac Matthews in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th February 1880.
ISAAC MATTHEWS, of Abercarne, near Newport, in the County of Monmouth.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COATING OR COVERING
METALLIC SHEETS OR PLATES WITH TIN OR OTHER METALS."
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction & arrangement of machinery
or apparatus for coating metallic sheets or plates with tin or other metals, and is
more especially applicable to the manufacture or production of tin & terne plates,
whereby the operation is more effectually & expeditiously performed than by the
means heretofore employed.
According to my Invention I employ an annular trough of cast iron or other
suitable material containing the molten metal to be used as the coating or covering.
This trough is heated in any convenient manner so as to maintain the metal therein
in a molten condition. In the centre of the said annular trough there is provided
a vertical shaft or pivot, round which revolves a horizontal disc or frame, carrying
at its periphery a number of racks or holders capable of lateral & vertical adjust-
ment within the trough round which they travel. These racks or holders descend
to the bottom, or nearly so, of the annular trough, & are intended to hold the plates
to be coated. The said plates are placed on the several racks through an opening
in the feed box, whence they are carried round through the molten metal in the
annular trough by the rotation of the racks until they arrive underneath a pair of
delivery rolls, at which point the plate is lifted either by a moveable portion of the
rack itself actuated in any convenient manner (self acting or otherwise), or which I
prefer, it is lifted by a self acting arrangement of lifting pins hereinafter more fully
referred to, the object being to bring the top edge of the plate within the grip of
the said delivery rolls, which by their rotation lift the plate out of the trough, &
at the same time pass it between a pair of wire brushes, but I prefer to use in lieu
of brushes one or more pairs of copper plates, placed at an angle to each other &
with their upper edges in contact for the purpose of leading off or removing the
superfluous metal and dross from the plates. The coated plates then pass between
a second pair of rolls which deliver them in a finished state. The level of the

page_text: molten metal in the annular trough should reach about to the centres of the lower
pair of delivery rolls, which, with the before mentioned copper plates and upper pair
of rolls, are contained within a box or frame, partially overhanging the trough, &
containing grease which extends up to the centres about of the upper pair of
delivery rolls. The horizontal revolving disc or frame has a continuous rotary
motion imparted to it, & the several racks are charged from the feed box as they
pass. By the time the plates have arrived at the delivery rolls they will have
been thoroughly coated & are ready for delivery, fresh plates being fed in as fast
as the coated plates are delivered, the process being thus continuous.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, & for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 of my Drawings represents a plan of my improved machinery or apparatus
for coating or covering metal sheets or plates with tin or terne; Fig. 2 is a vertical
section of the same taken through the roll & grease box, the feeding box being
omitted; Fig. 3 is a separate front view of the roll & grease box, showing the
arrangement for lifting the coated plates & bringing them under the action of the
delivery rolls (a portion only of such arrangement being shown in Fig. 2); Fig. 4
is a separate vertical section of the feed box; & Figs. 5 & 6 are details of parts of.
the lifting arrangement hereinafter more fully referred to..
A is the annular trough containing the molten metal, such trough being heated
by flues, not shown in my Drawings, as they may be arranged or constructed in
any convenient or well known manner. In the centre of this trough there is fixed
a pivot B, round which rotates horizontally the circular frame C, which receives a.
continuous rotary motion from the shaft D by bevil or other gearing E. To the
surface of this revolving frame C, & near its circumference, there are fitted by bolts
or otherwise so as to be adjustable laterally a number of upright brackets D', & D¹¹,
the brackets D¹ serve to carry the upper ends of the racks F, upon which the
plates to be coated or tinned rest whilst being carried round the trough. These
racks may each consist of a bar or rod a suitably bent, as shown in Fig. 2, and.
descending nearly to the bottom of the trough, the said bar being turned up as
shown at b, & provided, if desired, with a T head c to form a suitable support for
the upper edges of the plates to lean against the bottom edges of the plates resting.
upon the parts d of any two contiguous racks, as shown in Fig. 1. Each rack is
adjustable vertically by a bolt passing through a vertical slot in the carrying
bracket D¹, as shown at e, Fig. 2. The alternate brackets D", each carry a hori-
zontal stud or pin f for the purpose hereinafter explained, which may or may not
be adjustable in height as desired. F¹, Fig. 1, is the feed box, which is secured to
a broad flange G formed round the upper edge of the annular trough A; the front
part of this feed box being made with an open mouth g, dipping about half an inch.
into the molten metal in the trough, as shown in Fig. 4, where the dotted line h, i,
indicates the level of the molten metal in the annular trough; K represents the
position of the plates in the feed box ready to be fed singly, through the open
mouth into the annular trough, each plate k being separately deposited with its
bottom edge resting upon two contiguous racks in the order and positions shown in
the plan, Fig. 1; is a rib in the front part of the feed box, projecting upwards
slightly, in order to prevent the plates from accidentally slipping into the open
mouth thereof. The plates as they are deposited on the racks are carried round.
the annular trough, & as fast as they arrive under the roll & grease box H, & are
parallel to the rolls, they are successively lifted so as to bring them under the
action of the delivery rolls, as I shall now proceed to describe. The roll & grease
box is bolted or otherwise. secured to the upper edge of the trough, & contains
two pairs of delivery rolls I & I, carried in bearings mounted in removeable
frames K, supported upon the front & back edges of the box so as to be readily.
lifted out along with the rolls when required. Between the lower & upper pair of
rolls there are provided metal wire brushes or (which I prefer) two copper plates m

page_text: placed at an angle to each other, & with their upper edges in contact. These plates
are pivotted at their lower edges n to removeable plates (not shown in the
Drawings) in the frames K inside the box & are kept pressed together by springs,
not shown in my Drawings. The rolls are geared together in pairs & are driven
in the direction indicated by the arrows by gearing from the first motion shaft L,
driven by a strap & pulley or otherwise, which transmits motion by a second strap
& pullies M or otherwise to the second motion shaft D. To the upper edge of the
back or outer side of the grease box H there is hinged or pivotted at o a counter-
weighted horizontal frame N (shown clearly in Figs. 1 & 3, but omitted in Fig. 2),
& to the opposite ends of this frame, near the front thereof, there are connected, as
shown more clearly in the detail, Fig. 5, two vertical rods or bars p, which descend
down to the bottom, or nearly so, of the trough, the said vertical rods or bars being
connected at their lower ends by a horizontal bar q, which is curved to follow the
contour of the trough, as shown clearly in the detail plan, Fig. 6. This horizontal
bar q carries two projecting pins r&, which extend partly across the bottom of
the trough & beneath the racks, as shown in Fig. 2. To the front of the grease
box there is pivotted a horizontal lever s, which carries an adjustable inclined
piece t, whilst its free end bears against the underside of the front of the pivotted
frame N. As the several studs f in the revolving frame or disc pass round they
act against the incline t, & lift the levers & with it the pivotted frame &
rods p, p, with the lifting pins r & r³, which, in turn, lift the plate / that has been
brought over them, & bring its upper edge between the lower pair of rolls I so as
to be gripped thereby. These rolls by their rotation withdraw or lift the plate
clear of the bath, causing it to pass between the inclined copper plates m, m, the
edges of which remove the superfluous metal & dross from the surfaces of the plate k
as it passes between them in the course of delivery. The level of the molten
metal reaches to about the centres of the lower pair of rolls, whilst the level of the
grease in the box corresponds about with the centres of the upper pair of rolls.
It will be seen from the positions of the plates on the racks that in order to
prevent two plates being at the same time caught by one of the lifting pins it is
necessary that one of such pins r¹ should be so much shorter than the other as not
to reach to the following plate. u, Fig. 1, are guides fitted into the feeding mouth
of the feed box for the purpose of guiding the plates properly down onto the
racks, as will be easily understood. I may remark that in Fig. 1 I have
shown in dotted line the first plate of the series as having nearly, but not quite,
arrived at the position in which it will be elevated by the two lifting pins. When
used in coating terne plates I employ, if found requisite, two springs attached to
the lower parts of the opposite sides of the racks so as to grip the lower parts of
the plates, & thereby prevent all chance of the said plates floating in the metal.
With a view to prevent any risk of the plates slipping off the lifting pins I prefer
to roughen the upper surfaces of such pins. The speed of rotation of the horizontal
circular frame or disc should obviously be regulated according to the width of the
plates operated upon in proportion to their length in order to prevent any loss of
time in the delivery.
Having now described & particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, & the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel & original, &
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of an annular bath or trough containing the molten
metal, with a horizontal revolving frame or disc provided with racks or carriers
travelling round within the said annular trough, substantially in the manner & for
the purpose herein before described & illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The combination with the before mentioned annular trough & horizontal
revolving frame & carriers, of a self acting arrangement for lifting the plates-succes-
sively to the delivery rolls, arranged & caused to operate substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described & illustrated by my Drawings
1

page_text: Third. The application & use of two opposed metallic plates (by preference of
copper), arranged substantially as herein before described for the purpose of
removing the superfluous metal & dross from the coated plates as they issue from
between the delivery rolls, as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Matthews, have hereunto set my hand &
seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
ISAAC MATTHEWS. (L.S.)