IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Webb, of Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William Webb
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th December 1869:
I, FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB, of Bolton, in the County of Eancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR ROLLING AND CRUSHING METALS AND. OTHER MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in an improved arrangement of the parts
forming a rolling mill for rolling tyres, bars, and hoops for boilers and
other purposes.
In performing my Invention the main roll is supported as usual, and
the pressing roll is supported in top and bottom bearings which are
connected to the ram of a hydraulic cylinder by side bars or straps

page_text: and cross head; these sides bars or straps pass on each side, and above
and below the bearings of the main roll, the hydraulic cylinder being
placed at the back of the main roll, and by preference in line with the
centre of the tyrc or other article to be rolled. By this arrangement
the pressure for drawing the pressing roll towards the main roll is self
contained, that is to say, the pressing roll is drawn towards the main
roll instead of being pushed towards it as heretofore, the strain is thus
transmitted through the side bars or straps to the framing supporting
the bearings of the main roll. The ram of the above hydraulic cylinder
is bored out to contain a small fixed ram which has a hole through it,
and a constant pressure of water or other fluid may be kept up against
the end of this small ram, so that when the pressure is removed from
the large oylinder the pressing roll is pushed back from the main roll;
or the main ram may be fixed and the cylinder itself may be moved.
The bottom bearing of the pressing roll may be supported on the cylinder
or ram of a hydraulic press to lower the roll when the tyre or other
article is put in or taken out of the mill. In order to compensate for
the traverse of the pressing roll, I cause the supply pipe to pass through
a tube or vessel somewhat longer than the traverse of the roll, and
provided with a stuffing box or cup leather at each end. The outer end
of the supply pipe must be closed. By this arrangement the stop-cock
can be on the fixed portion of the supply pipe without varying the
quantity of fluid in the moving portion, and consequently without
altering the level of the roll. The pressing roll is adjusted vertically by
forcing it against a set screw or stop in the top bearing, and the pressing
roll has a hole through its axis for lubricating the bottom bearing.
In order to change the main roll the cap containing the top bearing of
the main roll is removed, and the bars or straps containing the top
bearing of the pressing roll may be thrown back on a hinge.
Another part of my Invention is applicable to ordinary rolling mills,
and consists in an improved mode of reversing their motion. To one
of the rolls is fixed a large worm wheel in which a worm gears, this
worm is on a crank shaft which is worked by a pair of steam engines
with suitable reversing gear. I prefer to employ a pair of engines with
the cylinders placed at such an angle that one reversing gear will suffice
for both engines. This mode of driving is applicable to mills for crushing
sugar canes, and other vegetable substances in which a slow rotary
motion is required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis William Webb in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
WILLIAM WEBB, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Francis William Webb, Her special licence
that I, the said Francis William Webb, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis William Webb, my
executors, administrators, and 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, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MILLS FOR ROLLING AND CRUSHING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis William
Webb, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis William Webb, 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 (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists, first, in an improved arrangement of the parts
forming a rolling mill for rolling tyres, bars, and hoops for boilers and
other purposes; and secondly, in an improved mode of communicating
motion to rolling mills the motion of which requires to be reversed,
and communicating motion to mills for crushing sugar cane and other
vegetable substances, and other mills in which a slow rotary motion is
required.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying three
Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a mill designed for
rolling the tyres of railway wheels, but I wish to remark here that by
changing the form and dimensions of the rolls the mill may be used
for rolling bars and hoops of other sections, and cylindrical plates for
boilers, and other purposes.
On Sheet 2, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Figs. 3 and 4 are end views
of the upper part of the rolling mill.
a is the axle of the main roll; this axle is supported below in the
pedestal e, and it rests upon the footstep c'. The upper end of the
axle a is supported in a bearing formed in the top plate & bolted to
the framing d, which is secured to the stone or other foundation. The
axle a is driven by the bevel pinion e gearing into the large wheel a¹
keyed on the axle a, or in any other convenient manner.
The pressing
rollis supported in top and bottom bearings, the top bearing g fitting
in the loop or bend of the side bars h, and the bottom bearing is formed
in the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder 1. The side bars / fit in
grooves in the top plate d¹ and pass on each side of the upper bearing
of the main roll; the ends of the side bars h are connected by the
bolt to the cross head h², which is also connected by the bolts ³ to
the sliding frame &, in which the cylinder is free to move up and
down. The hydraulic cylinder is placed at the back of the main roll b,
and by preference with its axis in line with the centre of the tyre or
other article to be rolled; by this arrangement the power exerted for
drawing the pressing roll towards the main roll is self-contained, that
is to say, the pressing roll is drawn towards the main roll, whereas it
has heretofore been customary where hydraulic power has been used for
this purpose to force or push the pressing roll towards the main roll;
the strain by this arrangement is thus transmitted through the side
bars h and bolts h³ to the framing supporting the main roll. The bolts h³
are provided with regulating nuts for giving when required a slight
inclination to the pressing roll f, or instead of the regulating nuts a
short hydraulic cylinder may be placed in the cross head * between the
bolts ; this hydraulic cylinder is connected by a cross head to the
bolts. This latter arrangement is particularly suitable in rolling

page_text: hoops for boilers and other similar articles where accurate adjustment
is required. The ram j of the cylinder i is bored out to contain the
small fixed ram k, the outer end of which passes through the cross
head connected by the bolts d² to the framing d. The ram k has a
hole through it, and a constant pressure of water or other fluid may be
kept up against the end of the ram k, so that when the pressure is
removed from the cylinder i the pressing rollf is pushed back from the
main roll b, or into the position shewn in Fig. 1, the cross head * being
then in contact with the end of the cylinder i, or the main ram j may
be a fixture and the cylinder i may be movable, in which arrangement
the position of the cylinder would be reversed, so that the cross head h³
might be secured to the solid end of the cylinder. The second ram k
in both arrangements may be dispensed with and the roll of brought
back by counterweights. The hydraulic cylinder fits in a hole in the
sliding frame d, which is guided in grooves in the main framing d, and
the lower end of the cylinder is provided with the ram m, which is
cast with a cross head carried by two bolts or studs & from the sliding
frame d, consequently the cylinder and ram m traverse together.with
the pressing roll f, or the studs & may be made to carry the cylinder,
and the bottom bearing for the roll f may be made in the top of the
ram. When it is requisite to lower the pressing roll
or taking out the tyre or other article, the cylinder
the ram m until the upper end of the roll is below the level of the said
tyre or other article. In order to compensate for the traverse of the
pressing roll the vertical supply pipe n, through which the water or
other fluid is forced into the cylinder 1, communicates with the
horizontal pipe n' passing through the vessel n³, which is bolted to the
bracket ³ secured to the foundation or otherwise; this vessel nº has
a stuffing box or cup leather at each end, so that the pipe n¹ which is
closed at one end by the cap n', may move to and fro with the pressing
roll f.
for putting in
is lowered on to
By this arrangement the stop-cock may be applied on the fixed
portion n of the supply pipe without varying the quantity of fluid in the
moving portion n', and consequently without altering the vertical
position of the roll f. The pressing roll may be adjusted vertically by
forcing it against a set screw in the top bearing g, and a hole may be
bored through the pressing roll and through the set screw for lubricating
the bottom bearing in the cylinder 7, as shewn in Fig. 1. The tyre to

page_text: be rolled, marked r, is supported by the diagonal rollers o, see Fig. 2, and
by a roller p mounted in the adjustable headstock q, which fits in
recesses in the plate d' connected to the sliding frame d³. The head-
stock q also supports the roller q' which bears upon the upper surface
of the tyre r. The circumference of the tyre is acted upon by the side
rollers supported in swivel frames 8¹, to which are cast toothed
segments &*, into which the worms gear, and these worms are turned
round by the hand wheels or by steam or hydraulic power applied to
the shaft u and spur pinions u². The Drawing represents the pressing
roll fat some distance from the main roll b, or in the position it would
occupy when a tyre is ready to be taken out, the parts being in the
positions shewn. The first operation would be for the attendant to let
the water out of the cylinder
to lower the roll f until the upper end
of the roll is below the tyre. While the water is escaping from the
cylinder the attendant raises partially the roller q' by means of the
wheels and handle shewn in Fig. 1. The rollers & are also moved from
the tyre, which is then at liberty to be removed from the mill. As soon
as a fresh tyre ready to be rolled has been put in the mill the water is
forced into the cylinder / to raise the roll f, and when it is up the water
is admitted to the cylinder i through the pipe ; the ram j is then
forced on to the stationary ram k, and the ram j in moving gradually
brings the roll fin contact with the interior of the tyre to be rolled and
forces it into the groove in the main roll b. The pressure is kept up
in the cylinder i until the tyre is complete, after which the water is
allowed to escape from the cylinder i, and the pressure of water in the
ram acting against the fixed ram k forces the roll back into the
position in which it is shewn.
On Sheet 3 Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in section, and Fig. 6 an end
view of my improved mode of communicating motion to and reversing
the motion of rolling mills or communicating motion to mills for
crushing sugar cane, or for other mills in which a very slow rotary
motion is requisite. A is the lower pinion, and B the upper pinion
forming part of the mill. To the axle of the pinion A is fixed the worm
wheel A', into which the worm C on the driving shaft C' gears; this
shaft is driven by a pair of steam engines, the cylinders of which are
marked D. The connecting rods of these engines are coupled to the
cranks C³, which are placed at about right angles to each other to assist
in turning
the contuon
The steam engines

page_text: requisite) with a reversing gear of the usual description, by which the
direction of motion of the rolls can be reversed, and by varying the pitch
and the number of teeth in the wheel A' the requisite slow rotary motion
can be given to the rolls without reducing the speed of the steam
engines.
Fig. 7 represents a modification of this part of my Invention. In this
instance the worm wheel A' is driven by two worms C, one acting on
each side of its circumference; each worm is driven by a separate steam
engine, but the engines or the crank shafts C₁ may be connected by
gearing or otherwise to ensure uniform action.
Fig. 8 represents another modification of my Invention. In this
instance the driving engines are placed at an angle of about 90 degrees,
and the piston rods of both engines are connected to the same crank C
on the shaft C', on which is the worm C gearing into the worm wheel A',
as before described.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
mode of performing the same, I declare that I claim,―
First. The improved combination and arrangement of the paris
forming a mill for rolling tyres, bars, and hoops, as shewn and described.
Secondly. The improved mode of applying hydraulic power for setting
up the pressing roll, whereby the power is self-contained, as shewn and
described.
Thirdly. The improved mode of applying hydraulic power for raising
and lowering the pressing roll and the apparatus for compensating for
the traverse motion of the same, as shewn and described.
And, lastly. The various improvements in communicating motion to
and reversing the motion of mills for rolling and crushing metals and
other materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis William Webb, have herc-
to set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of June One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.