Improvements in Rolling Mills for the Manufacture of Fish Plates and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
COMPETE
[Communicated from abroad by CONTINUOUS RAIL JOINT COMPANY, of America,
a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey, and
having its principal place of business at No. 763, Broad Street, Newark, in
said State, United States of America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Rolling Mills for the Manufacture of Fish Plates
and the like.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 certain improvements in rolls for shaping connecting
plates for railway joints, the objects of the invention being to reduce the number
of rolls required, to prevent the formation of fins caused by excessive reduction
from one groove or pass to another, to secure a more perfect filling out of the
fish plate at its bearing surfaces, and to secure other advantages and results, some
of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the
working parts.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a sectional
elevation of the roughing or preparatory rolls; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of
the finishing rolls, and Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line A-A, Figure 2,
and showing certain rings and keys or splines used in connection with the roll.
In said drawings, 1, 2 and 3 indicate the top, middle and bottom rolls, respec-
tively, of the preparatory set or train. Two sets of rolls are used in practice, as
shown, the first or roughing set of rolls preparing the metal for the second or
finishing set, shown in Figure 2, and comprising top, middle and bottom rolls
marked 4, 5 and 6, respectively.
The top and bottom rolls of the series are each provided with annular grooves
of peculiar cross sectional shape adapted to the particular style of fish plate or
other article to be rolled, and the middle roll has male projections adapted to
work in said grooves on the top and bottom rolls. Instead of having each male
projection on the middle roll engage a groove on one roll and work in a vacant
space or recess on the other roll, as has been usual heretofore, a construction is
provided in which each projection on the middle roll works into differently
designed grooves on the top and bottom rolls, respectively. In this way, the one
set of rolls presents two series of passes through which the metal may be led and
thus does the duty of two separate sets of rolls to a great economy in sawing the
number of rolls required.
For example, in the roughing set are the two series of passes shown, one
marked with numerals 7 to 12, inclusive, and the alternate series marked 16 to 21,
inclusive, either series being available for use, and producing a result entirely
listinct from that produced by the other.
Furthermore, there is available a greater number of passes which may be
employed as needed, and by increasing or diminishing the amount of reduction
of metal from the preparatory to the finishing rolls, the metal can be properly filled
out at the bearing surfaces of the head of the fish plate or the formation of
objectionable fins because of excessive reduction can be avoided.
As for example, in some designs the plate being rolled is carried from pass

page_text: No. 11 in the preparatory rolls to pass No. 22, in the finishing rolls; in other
designs from pass No. 12 to pass No. 15, in the finishing rolls, or from pass No. 11
to pass No. 23. In some designs, pass No. 24, in the finishing top roll is placed
as No. 15, at the bottom, the roughing rolls not being reversed. In other designs,
the roughing rolls may be reversed while the finishing rolls retain their original
position.
It will be understood that in changing from the use of one series of passes to
the use of the other series, the top and bottom rolls are generally reversed or
interchanged in position, the middle roll remaining unchanged. This change
does not alter any of the passes but simply changes the two series in position,
and is done merely because fish plates are usually rolled with the bearing surface
downward, thereby causing the scale to free itself from the metal and producing a
clean contact surface.
The passes on the finishing rolls and passes No. 12 and 21, on the preparatory
rolls, are shown formed on sleeves 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 etc., which may be fitted
onto the rolls when the original passes wear out by cutting down the worn pass
to the same diameter as the journal or very nearly so.
The sleeves are then
slipped on, being held against turning by keys or splines as 34. Threaded nuts 35,
are then screwed upon the roll to hold the sleeve against longitudinal displace-
ment, said roll being threaded as at 36, to receive said nuts.
By using a right hand screw on the middle roll and a left hand screw on the
top and bottom rolls, or rice-versa, according to the direction of rotation of the
rolls, any end pressure of the sleeves against the said nuts will tend to screw
them more tightly onto the shaft instead of unscrewing them.
Washer rings 37, may be used between the sleeves and threaded nuts, and in
some cases, several sleeves may make up one pass, as shown in the last passes
of the finishing rolls, where 38, 39, 40, are iron section rings, 41 and 42, tongue
rings, and 43, a bending ring.
Furthermore, in the present construction, the tongue rings 41, 42, forming
with the bending rings 43, the final or bending pass, are placed within or
between the housings or bearings (not shown) of the rolls, the same as the other
passes, and by reason of this construction, and the right and left hand threaded
nuts described, are held very firmly and rigidly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a fish plate forming machine, a set of rolls comprising upper and lower
rolls having series of pass grooves, the grooves on one roll being directly opposite
those on the other, and a middle roll having projections forming with the said
grooves in the upper and lower rolls passes for the metal, the opposite grooves
of the upper and lower rolls differing in cross section and the projections of the
middle roll serving in common with said differently formed grooves to provide
two series of passes adapted to roll plates of two different cross sectional forms,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a fish plate forming machine, a set of rolls comprising upper and lower
rolls having a plurality of independent series of peripheral pass grooves, and a
middle roll having a series of projections co-operating with both said series of
grooves on the upper and lower rolls and forming therewith two differing series
of passes for the metal by which fish plates may be rolled, substantially as set
forth.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.