CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
HEATH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Merchant, and
RICHARD HANDLEY THOMAS, of Wolstanton, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Nineteenth day of June, in the thirteenth year of Her reign, and in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Heath and
Richard Handley Thomas, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said Robert Heath and Richard Handley Thomas,
our exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as we, the said Robert
Heath and Richard Handley Thomas, our exors, adññiors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, our Invention of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF IRON;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the
said Robert Heath and Richard Handley Thomas, or one of us, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Handley Thomas, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and
the following explanation thereof, that is to say: ---
Our Invention relates particularly to the conversion of "puddled" balls of
iron into what are commonly called "blooms," and the peculiar feature thercof
consists in a novel arrangement of two revolving surfaces, between which the
iron intended to be worked passes; such surfaces being connected to suitable
gear, so as to revolve in the same direction, the one at a speed above that of
the other; by which means the material under operation is rolled so as to turn
upon its own centre, and at the same time carried downwards to be discharged
at the lower part of the apparatus; and this machine is also applicable to the
rolling of iron into other forms than that of the ordinary "bloom," as liere-
after to be described.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation of the
machine; Fig. 2, a plan or horizontal view thereof; and Fig. 3, an end
elevation of the same. The framework, affixed to a bed plate in any ordinary
manner, is shewn at a, a, upon which are mounted in suitable bearings
the two revolving surfaces b, 6x, these surfaces are of iron, and are grooved
or fluted, as shewn in the Drawing; to the axlo of the one is affixed a
toothed wheel c, and to that of the other 6*, a toothed wheel d, driven by
a pinion m, the shaft of which is suitably connected, to any motive power.
which may be employed. The wheel d is of smaller diameter than that
shewn at c, the revolving surface b*, to which it is connected, will therefore
move at a rate above that of the other b. Upon the upper part of the frame-
work of the machine is mounted a sliding piece e, which is capable of moving
in V guides ff; the inward end of the piece e carries a projecting part or
"upsetter" g, which is so formed as to fit the peripheries of the revolving
surfaces b, bx, in contact with which it is capable of moving so as to form an
abutment, against which the iron under operation presses in order to effect a
perfect end to the "bloom." The outward part of the sliding piece e is connected
to a lever, which is attached to a vibrating shaft i, i; this shaft is mounted
in suitable bearings attached to the framework of the machine, and carries at

page_text: either end a lever j, which lever is provided at its other extremity with a
weight; by this arrangement the shaft i, i, is turned forcibly upon its
centre, and the sliding piece e (through the intervention of the lever h) pressed
forward towards the opposite sides of the revolving surfaces 6, 6*. On the
contrary side of the machine to that occupied by the sliding piece e, the frame-
work a, a, projects upwards, and in such projection is formed a dovetail
groove, which receives a similarly formed piece 7, adjusted so as to bear lightly
against the sides of the revolving surfaces 6, 6*; this forms an abutment for
the material under operation, and may bo removed when worn for the sub-
stitution of another. The operation of this machine is as follows:-The iron
puddled in the usual manner is placed between the revolving surfaces b, b*,
the sliding piece e being then pressed forward by the weights k, k, so as to be
partly across the peripheries thereof, the machine being then put in motion,
the material will be rolled round upon its own centre, the superior velocity of
the surface 6* at the same time carrying it downwards, during which opera-
tion the metal will be extended in length, the sliding piece e being forced back
against the pressure generated by the operation of the weights k, k, and thus
a perfect end to the bloom will be maintained so as to produce one of a
regular figure. In the position shewn in the Drawing the "bloom" is
partially formed, the slide e having been forced backwards, as before described.
When the metal under operation has passed the line coincident with the
centres of the revolving surfaces, it will fall to the lower part of the machine,
and may be removed therefrom in any desired manner. As the bloom is in
progress of being formed, the refuse matter which will be separated there-
from may fall on to a grating provided for that purpose, and thus pass into a
receptacle for removal at pleasure. I have described this machine as provided
with revolving surfaces suitably shaped for forming an ordinary cylindrical
"bloom;" if desired, however, the said surfaces may be so formed on their
peripheries as to turn rolls of metal of irregular diameters, in order to
facilitate subsequent operations.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be
understood that we not intend to confine ourselves to the precise form or
arrangement of parts shewn in the Drawings, as many variations may be
made without departing from the principle of our Invention; for instance, if
desired, a piston acted upon by the pressure of steam, air, or water may be
used as applied to the "upsetter" instead of the weights k, and other
variations in arrangement or construction may be adopted. That which we

page_text: claim as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters Patent being
the use of revolving cylindrical surfaces or rollers moving in the same
direction (as shewn in the Drawing by arrows), for the purposes above set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Handley Thomas, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.