AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR STRAIGHT- ENING, BENDING, CURVING, AND CIRCLING BEAMS, BARS, AND PLATES OF IRON OR OTHER METALS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Todd, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR STRAIGHT-
ENING, BENDING, CURVING, AND CIRCLING BEAMS, BARS, AND PLATES OF IRON
OR OTHER METALS."
Sealed the 25th July 1865, and dated tho 18th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Todd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th April
1865.
I, JOHN TODD, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
STRAIGHTENING, BENDING, CURVING, AND CIRCLING BEAMS, BARS, AND PLATES OF
IRON OR OTHER METALS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
I construct this machine or machines with vertical shafts and changing rolls,
the latter having grooves, channels, or hollows in their peripheries, formed as
the shape or transverse section of the iron or metal to be operated upon may
require. The rolls are keyed on to three vertical shafts, two of which
(carrying two rolls) revolve in vertical fixed bearings, and are turned by
wheels or screws driven by steam or other power, and one of which shafts
(carrying a third roll) revolves in vertical sliding bearings adjustable to a
greater or less distance from the first-mentioned shafts and rolls by screws or

page_text: wheels. The top and bottom bearings are connected by pillars and frames;
the upper bearing frame forming a table, upon which the beams, bars, rails,
and the like rest as they are passed between the sliding roller on one side, and
the fixed rollers on the other with forward and backward motion, by which
the required circle or bend is formed, or the straightening operation effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Todd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TODD, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Todd, Her special licence that I, the said John Todd, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Todd, 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 "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
STRAIGHTENING, BENDING, CURVING, AND CIRCLING BEAMS, BARS, AND PLATES OF
IRON OR OTHER METALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Todd, my executors 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 John Todd, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
I construct the machine or machines with vertical shafts and changing rolls,
the latter having grooves, channels, or hollows in their peripheries, formed as

page_text: tho shape or transverso section of the iron or metal to be operated upon may
require. The rolls are keyed on to vertical shafts, two of which carrying a
roll each revolve in vertical fixed bearings, and are turned by wheels or screws
driven by steam or other power, and one of which shafts carrying a third roll,
revolves in vertical sliding bearings, so that the said last-mentioned shaft and
roll are adjustable to a greater or less distance from the first-mentioned shafts
and rolls by screws, gearing, and hand wheel. The top and bottom bearings
are housed in metal frames, which, by preference, are connected by pillars of
wrought iron. The upper bearing frame forms a table, upon which the beams,
bars, rails, and the like rest as they are passed between the adjusting rolls on
one side and the fixed rollers on the other, towards and backwards, by which
motions or motion the required circle, curve, or bend is formed, on the
straightening operation is effected.
The details of construction are shewn upon the accompanying Drawings, to
which the following explanation applies:-
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Drawings A and B.-Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a sectional
sido elevation, Figure 3 is an end elevation, in which the front of engines is
shewn Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5 an end elevation, shewing the
arrangement of screw wheel gearing for working the sliding shaft and roll.
The same letters of reference indicated the same parts of the machine in all
the Figures.
A, A, are two strong cast-iron upper and lower frames, which are firmly
screwed together by the bolts B, and into which are housed the three upright
shafts C, D, E, with their upper extremities projecting above the top frame
to receive the rolls F, G, H. The two shafts C and D with their rolls revolve
in fixed bearings, but the shaft E is fitted into the two sliding blocks I, I,
which are made to traverse simultaneously by the hand wheel J in connection
with the screw wheel gear K, L, M; by this arrangement the space between
the rollers F and G and the roller I can be increased or diminished to admit
various sizes of iron or other metal, or to give more or less curve thereto.
The rollers are made with grooves or channels to admit the different forms of
metals intended to be operated upon; and when necessary the rollers can be
replaced by others with parallel, conical, plain, or other surfaces or grooves of
a different shape to suit other kinds of work. In order to facilitate the
working of the machine horizontal or carrying rollers N, N, are placed above
the top frame A in rising and falling holders O, for the purpose of supporting
or carrying the iron as it passes between the vertical rollers opposite any of the

page_text: grooves therein by the screw pin and lever P. The rotary motion of the two rollers
C and D.is derived from the first shaft Q, to which is fitted a double-cylinder
engine with double excentrics and link-motion apparatus for reversing, and
which is connected to the hand lever S, with appropriate spring sneek T, só
that with this lever the man who is working the machine can give the rollers
either a forward or backward movement, or stop them in an instant, as
required.. When the machino is not wanted with an engine, the "three fully
arrangements" can be applied with open and cross belts, fitted with the
necessary apparatus for working the same. Or in the event of its not being
practicable to apply an engine or belt power, handles can be fitted into the
fly wheel or wheels, and the machine be driven by hand. The engine operates
the rolls in the following manner :-On the first shaft Q is fitted the pinion K,
which gears into the wheel U, and gives motion to the shaft V, in which are
fitted the two worm screws W, W; this shaft is fitted with stepped or thrust
bearings W', so as to equalize the strain on the bushes. The two screws W, W,
on the shaft V work into the worm wheels X, X, fitted upon the shafts
of the two vertical rolls F, G, and drive them in the same direction, as
indicated at Fig. 4 by the arrows. The sliding or adjusting roll II is driven
by coming into frictional contact with the iron or other metal being operated
upon, and when the metal does not receive its required curve by the first
operation the engines are reversed, and the sliding roll is screwed nearer the
rolls F, G, and the metal is thus wrought backwards and forwards until it
acquires the desired form.
Horizontal plate bending machines have sometimes been used for bending
bars, angle iron, and the like, by which the iron while being operated upon
was either carried upwards out of the reach of the workmen, or downwards
to the floor; it is evident that such will not be the case with the machine
above described, as the metal will remain in a horizontal position at an easy
distance from the ground for the workmen to handle it. This machine is also
superior to the "ram" machine hitherto made, which has a reciprocating
motion for bending or straightening purposes; the rolls will carry the iron
through at the rate of about twenty feet per minute, mor or less, and has this
advantage over the "ram" machines, that whilo it gives the work a uniform
curve, if necessary, in cases where the work being operated upon requires to
have more "curve or set " at one particular place the engines are simply
reversed, the sliding roll adjusted, and the metal, being caused to traverse
backwards and forwards at the place indicated, will thus acquire any curve
required to the greatest nicety from a perfect circle or arc to a straight line.
Without confining myself to the arrangement and construction of the

page_text: mechanical details shewn upon the Drawings, I hereby further declare that
what I more particularly claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by the
in part recited Letters Patent is, machines for circling, curving, bending, or
straightening iron or other metal, constructed with three vertical shafts and
rolls, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Todd, have hereunto set my land
and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
ARTHUR CHABOT,
129, Camberwell Road,
London, S.
JOHN TODD. (L.S.)