Improvements in or relating to Machinery for Cleaning and Polishing Tin Plates, Terne Plates, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
. Improvements in or relating to Machinery for Cleaning and
Polishing Tin Plates, Terne Plates, and the like.
We, WILLIAM WILLIAMS of Maesygwernen Hall, and Upper Forest Tin
Plate Works, Tin Plate Manufacturer, and WILLIAM GUNTHORPE MORRIS of
43 Crown Street, Mechanical Engineer, both of Morriston, R.S.O. in the County
of Glamorgan, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to improvements in or relating. to machinery for cleaning
and polishing tin plates, terne plates, and the like by the removal of grease used in
the process of coating the same, thereby dispensing with manual labor at present
employed for this purpose. Our invention consists of a trough having two or more
separate receptacles for bran or other cleansing materials or substances. The
trough is of any convenient size and shape to receive two or more pairs of wood,
metallic, or other drums or discs, each pair being keyed upon a shaft mounted in
suitable bearings attached to the sides of the trough or otherwise. Hooks or grips
of suitable form are fixed upon the peripheries of the said drums or discs to receive
tin plates, terne plates, and the like as they enter the machine, and against which
the tin plates, terne plates, and the like are held securely by means of spring-rods,
which pass through or by the sides of the drums or discs, the said rods having
their ends fixed in springs and cross rods with revolving bowls actuated by
means of movable cams fixed to slotted rings secured to sides of trough and
arranged so that they grip the tin plates, terne plates, and the like when entering
the machine and draw them (not pushing or forcing them) through the bran or
cleansing materials or substances; releasing them at the proper moment and
delivering them at the other end of the machine.
The cams are adjustable for any size of plate the machine is adapted for. The
plate to be cleaned is first placed against a stand and resting in two or more curved
levers, which by the revolving action of the drums or discs carrying the hooks,
the latter come in contact with a lever and presses the same down thus causing the
curved levers to drop to allow each plate to gently fall into the hooks or grips of
its own gravity. A spring is fixed inside the hooks upon which the plates fall and
which through its elasticity prevents the edges of the plates from being damaged
which would otherwise be the case. The plate is then clipped by the spring-rods
at its bottom edge and is gradually pressed round the peripheries of the drums or
discs by levers actuated from the hooks on same, and is held at its top side by self-
balancing forks or grips which hold it until it is drawn through the bran or other
cleansing material or substance. After passing through half a revolution or there-
abouts of the drums or discs the spring-rods-actuated by the adjustable cams and
springs and the self-balancing forks releases the plate, after which it is passed
into the hooks or grips on a second pair of drums or discs, and is drawn through
the bran or other cleansing material or substance, thus cleaning the reverse side of
the plate. After passing through another half revolution or thereabouts the plate
is released and falls upon an adjustable table which is fixed to the delivery end of
the machine. The plates are placed into the curved levers direct from the dipping
pot and are fixed in position automatically by means of levers and catches actuated
by the arm of the drum or disc. After the plates have been cleaned they are passed
to the dusting or polishing part of the machine, which is fixed to or adjoining
the cleaners.

page_text: The latter part of the machine consists of revolving rollers covered with lamb
or other suitable skins or material arranged in two or more pairs, which rotate at
a high speed to thoroughly dust and polish the plates as they pass between the
same; the guiding rollers which carry the plates through the machine being
covered with india-rubber or other pliable or suitable material or substance, and
the gearing driving the various rollers consists of fast and loose pulleys, internal
spur and pinion wheels, chains and chain wheels, or other suitable gearing. The
cleansing portion of the machine is driven by suitable gearing, such as, endless
chains, longitudinal shaft, worm and worm wheels, bevel and spur wheels, or any
other mechanical means as desired.
Dated the 6th March 1893
EDMUND CHADWICK, F.I.C.P.A.,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery for Cleaning and
Polishing Tin Plates, Terne Plates, and the like.
We, WILLIAM WILLIAMS of Maesygwernen Hall, and Upper Forest Tin
Plate Works, Tin Plate Manufacturer, and WILLIAM GUNTHORPE MORRIS of
43 Crown Street, Mechanical Engineer, both of Morriston, R.S.O. in the County of
Glamorgan, do hereby declare the nature of our said 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 refers to improvements in or relating to machinery for cleaning
and polishing tin plates, terne plates, and the like by the removal of grease used in
the process of coating the same, thereby dispensing with manual labor at present
employed for this purpose. Our invention consists of a trough having two or more
separate receptacles for bran, or other cleansing materials or substances. The
trough is of any convenient size and shape to receive two or more pairs of wood,
metallic, or other drums or discs, each pair being keyed upon a shaft mounted in
suitable bearings attached to the sides of the trough or otherwise. Hooks or grips
of suitable form are fixed upon the peripheries of the said drums or discs to receive
tin plates, terne plates, and the like as they enter the machine, and against which
the tin plates, terne plates, and the like are held securely by means of spring-rods,
which pass through or by the sides of the drums or discs, the said rods having their
ends fixed in springs and cross rods with revolving bowls actuated by means of
movable cams fixed to slotted rings secured to sides of trough and arranged so that
they grip the tin plates, terne plates, and the like when entering the machine and
draw them (not pushing or forcing them) through the bran or cleansing materials
or substances; releasing them at the proper moment and delivering them at the
other end of the machine.
The cams are adjustable for any size of plate the machine is adapted for. The
plate to be cleaned is first placed against a stand and resting in two or more curved
levers, which by the revolving action of the drums or discs carrying the hooks, the
latter come in contact with a lever and presses the same down thus causing the
curved levers to drop to allow each plate to gently fall into the hooks or grips of
its own gravity. A spring is fixed inside the hooks upon which the plates fall and
which through its elasticity prevents the edges of the plates from being damaged
which would otherwise be the case. The plate is then clipped by the spring-rods at
its bottom edge and is gradually pressed round the peripheries of the drums or
discs by levers actuated from the hooks on same, and is held at its top side by self-
balancing forks or grips which hold it until it is drawn through the bran or other
cleansing material or substance. After passing through half a revolution or there-
abouts of the drums or discs the spring-rods-actuated by the adjustable cams and

page_text: springs and the self-balancing forks releases the plate, after which it is passed
into the hooks or grips on a second pair of drums or discs, and is drawn through
the bran or other cleansing material or substance, thus cleaning the reverse side
of the plate. After passing through another half revolution or thereabouts the
plate is released and falls upon an adjustable table which is fixed to the delivery
end of the machine. The plates are placed into the curved levers direct from the
dipping pot and are fixed in position automatically by means of levers and catches
actuated by the arm of the drum or disc. After the plates have been cleaned they
are passed to the dusting or polishing part of the machine, which is fixed to or
adjoining the cleaners. The latter part of the machine consists of revolving rollers
covered with lamb or other suitable skins or material arranged in two or more
pairs, which rotate at a high speed to thoroughly dust and polish the plates as they
pass between the same; the guiding rollers which carry the plates through the
machine being covered with india-rubber or other pliable or suitable material or
substance, and the gearing driving the various rollers consists of fast and loose
pulleys, internal spur and pinion wheels, chains and chain wheels, or other suitable
gearing. The cleansing portion of the machine is driven by suitable gearing, such
as, endless chains, longitudinal shaft, worm and worm wheels, bevel and spur
wheels, or any other mechanical means as desired.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a sectional longitudinal elevation of our improved machine for cleaning
and polishing tin plates, terne plates, and the like, and Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Our invention consists of the trough A having two or more separate receptacles
for bran or other cleansing materials or substances. The trough A is of any
convenient size and shape to receive the drums or discs B composed of wood,
metallic, or other materials, each drum or disc B being keyed upon the shaft C
mounted in the bearings D attached to the sides E of the trough A or otherwise.
The peripheries of the drums or discs B are provided with the hooks or grips F to
receive the tin plates, terne plates, and the like as they enter the machine, and
against which the said plates are held securely by means of the spring rods G
which pass through the bosses H on the sides of the drums or discs B. The inner
ends of the rods G are fixed in the spiral springs I in the centre boss J of the
drums or discs B. The spring rods G are also fitted with the cross rods K, the
ends of which are fitted with the revolving bowls L actuated by means of
the movable or adjustable cams M fixed in the slotted rings N secured to the sides
of trough or troughs A., and arranged so that the spring rods G grip the tin plates,
terne plates, and the like when entering the machine, and draw them (not pushing
or forcing them) through the bran or cleansing materials or substances. The
cams M are adjustable for any size of plate the machine is adapted for. The plate
to be cleaned is represented at A³ and is placed in the concaved portion of the
discs Q2 on the shaft or centre Q³; the upper end of the plate resting against the
frame. Q, and as the drums or discs B rotate the next advancing hooks or grips F
operate on the levers Q and depresses the same, by which action the pivoted
levers P and rods P¹ prevent the plate A³ falling away, and allows the bottom end
of same to fall gently into the hooks or grips F of its own gravity by the swivelling
action of the discs Q. As soon as the levers Q are released from the hooks or
grips F they are re-set along with the discs Q and the levers P by the spiral
springs R, rods R', and levers R* ready to receive the next plate to be cleaned. After
the plate has dropped into the hooks or grips F it is then clipped or gripped by the
spring rods G, and as the drums or discs B rotate the plate is drawn through the bran
or other cleansing materials or substances. Immediately the tin plates, terne plates,
and the like have been drawn entirely through the first portion of the trough A they are
liberated from the hooks or grips F and the spring rods G by the bowls L operating
on the cams M, after which the said plates drop onto the incline O which guides the
plate to be treated into the next advancing hooks or grips F on the drums or

page_text: discs B in the second portion of the trough A which are set or timed to receive the
same. This action has the effect of turning the plates over, thereby cleaning both
sides by means of drawing the same through the bran or cleansing materials or
substances. After a plate has been drawn through the second portion of the
trough A it is released as before described, when it falls upon the adjustable
table S pivoted or fixed to the delivery end of the machine by means of the pins T.
To the adjustable table S is pivoted the rod or rods U coupled to the levers Y
carrying the spring or yielding table W. From the adjustable table S the cleansed
plate is delivered to the rollers X of the dusting and polishing part of the machine.
Owing to the rollers X-which are covered with india-rubber or other pliable or
suitable material or substance-revolving in the direction indicated by the arrows
the plate is passed between them and the dusting and polishing rollers Y, the latter
being covered with lamb or other suitable skins or material, and rotate at a high
speed to thoroughly dust and polish the plates as they pass between the same.
When the full length of the plate under operation has passed between the rollers Y
it drops on the spring or yielding table W, from whence it is delivered to the
rollers Z by the next advancing hooks or grips F operating on the underside of the
adjustable table S, which raises the spring or yielding table W, and by the rotating
action of the rollers Z-which are covered with india-rubber or other pliable or
suitable material or substance- the plate is drawn upwards and passed between the
dusting and polishing rollers Y and A' from whence the finished plate may be
removed in any desired manner. The rollers X, Y, Z, and A' forming the dusting
or polishing portion of the machine are mounted on centres supported in adjustable
bearings M' attached to the framework E of the machine. The said bearings are
adjustable by means of the screws N' to allow of the positions of the rollers being
altered to suit the varying thicknesses of plates to be operated upon. The machine
is fitted with the driving shaft B¹ provided with the fast and loose pulleys C and D'
respectively, to allow of the same being operated by the driving strap E' from any
convenient source. On the driving shaft B₁ is fixed the bevel wheel F¹ gearing
into the bevel wheel G' on the shaft H. The shaft H is fitted with worms gearing
into the worm wheels I¹ on the shafts C by which the drums or discs B are rotated.
The rollers of the dusting and polishing portion of the machine are driven
from the shaft H' by the bevel gear J' and the spur gear K¹ shown in Fig. 2.
We would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the method or
manner shown for driving the machine as the same may be substituted by chain or
other gear suitable for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a machine for cleaning and polishing tin plates, terne plates, and the like
the combination of the revolving drums or discs mounted on shafts and fitted with
hooks or grips, spring rods, spiral springs, cross-rods and bowls, and adjustable cams
for the purpose of automatically gripping and drawing the said plates through bran
or other cleansing materials or substances in a trough, and for releasing the same,
substantially as described.
2. In a machine for cleaning and polishing tin plates, terne plates, and the like
the combination of the revolving drums or discs mounted on shafts and fitted with
hooks or grips, spring rods, spiral springs, cross-rods and bowls, and adjustable cams
for the purpose of automatically gripping and drawing the said plates through bran
or other cleansing materials or substances in a trough, and for releasing the same
and delivering the said plates to a second set of revolving drums or discs to repeat
the operation on the opposite side of the plate and deliver the same to an adjustable
table and dusting or polishing machine, substantially as described.
3. In combination with a machine for cleaning and po lishing tin plates, terne plates,
and the like, the use of the dusting and polishing machine or apparatus fixed at the
delivery end of the aforesaid machine, consisting of the guiding rollers X and Z and

page_text: the polishing rollers Y and A' covered with lamb or other suitable skins or material,
substantially as described.
4. The general arrangements, constructions, and combinations of parts composing
the improved machine for cleaning and polishing tin plates, terne plates, and the like,
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated the 29th November 1893.
EDMUND CHADWICK, F.I.C.P.A.,
Agent.