A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND STRAIGHTENING BARS OF METAL
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lees, of Park Bridge Iron Works, Ashton-
.under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, and William Heap, also of
Ashton-under-Lyne, in the. County. of Lancaster, Tool Maker, for the
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
AND STRAIGHTENING BARS OF METAL."
I
Sealed the 7th August 1855, and dated the 9th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lees and William
Heap at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 9th February-1855:
We, JOHN LEES, of Park Bridge Iron Works, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the
County of Lancaster, and WILLIAM HEAP, also of Ashton-under-Lyne, in
the County of Lancaster, Tool Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
AND STRAIGHTENING BARS OF METAL". to be as follows:-
It consists in a new machine or combination of machinery or apparatus to
be put in motion by a steam engine or other adequate power for the purpose
of cutting and straightening bars of metal.
The first part of the machine is a circular saw, or other tool or implement

page_text: answering the same purpose, for cutting or shearing the original bar of metal
into proper lengths.
The bar of metal in a heated state (or cold if necessary) is presented to the
cutting apparatus by a lever or combination of levers, and the proper length
being cut off, it falls on to an inclined plane, passing down which it is received
by another lever or combination of levers, which deliver it to the second part
of the apparatus, which consists in a system of three or more rollers, by the
action of which it is straightened, which process being completed, it is then
delivered from tho machine.
A third part of our Invention is the cam shaft, on which is placed or fixed
a number of cams or eccentrics, which, acting upon levers or slides, the whole
of the apparatus is rendered self-acting.
Another part of our Invention consists in the mode or modes of actuating
certain parts of the apparatus. We combine the whole of the mechanism
together so as to forin a single self-acting machine, or divide it into two
separate machines, as may be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lees and William Heap in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jons
LEES, of Park Bridge Iron Works, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, and WILLIAN HEAP, also of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County
of Lancaster, Tool Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Lees and William Heap, Her, especial licence that we, the said John
Lees and William Heap, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Lees and William Heap, our 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS

page_text: FOR CUTTING AND STRAIGHTENING BARS OF METAL," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Lees and William Heap, by an instrument
in writing under our hand and seal, 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 we, the said John Lees and William Heap,
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 (that is to say) :-
It consists in a new machine or combination of machinery or apparatus to
be put in motion by a steam engine or other adequate power for the purpose
of cutting and straightening (otherwise called stretching) bars of metal. The
first part of the machine is a circular saw, or other tool or implement answering
the same purpose, for cutting or shearing the original bar of metal into
proper lengths.
The bar of metal in a heated state (or cold if necessary) is presented
to the cutting apparatus by a lever or combination of levers, and the proper
length being cut off, it falls on to an inclined plane, passing down which it
is intercepted by a number of points or prongs, which pass through appertures
in the inclined plane, and which form the terminations of a lever or levers, or
the terminations of a sliding bar connected with a lever or levers. The prongs
being withdrawn at the proper time, the piece of bar cut off (or short bar)
continues its course down the inclined plane, from whence it passes to the
second part of the apparatus, which consists in a system of three or more
rollers, by the action of which it is straightened or stretched, which process
being completed, it is then delivered from the machine.
A third part of our Invention is the cam shaft, on which is placed or fixed
a number of cams or eccentrics, which, acting upon levers or slides, the whole
of the apparatus is rendered self-acting.
Another part of our Invention consists in the application and adaptation of
an internal toothed wheel and pinions combined, with universal joints, for the
purpose of giving motion to the rollers, by the action of which the short bar
of metal is straightened or stretched. We combine the whole of the mechanism
together so as to form a single self-acting machine, or divide it into two separate
machines, as may be required.
In order to make our Invention more clearly understood, we have hereunto
annexed a Sheet of Drawings, to which, and to the letters and figures of

page_text: reference marked thereon, the following description relates; it being observed
that in all cases where the same letters of reference or letters and figures
conjoined are found, they indicate the same parts of the machinery or
apparatus:-
Fig. is an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, another view of the
same elevation, with certain parts of the mechanism removed, in order to shew
the construction of other portions of the apparatus move clearly; Fig. 8, a
side elevation; Fig. 4, a plan of the machine; Fig. 5, a section through the
line y,, Fig. 2; and Figs. 6 and 7, separate parts of the apparatus.
A, A, bed plate, which combines and supports the other fixed parts of the
machine; A', A', two standards or frame sides, which support the principal
portion of the moving parts of the machine; A; A, cross plate which
combines the two standards A', A'; together; A and A', two headstocks
attached to the bed-plate A; A; B, first motion shaft, which is put in motion
by a steam engine or other moving power; B', B', fast and loose pulleys on the
shaft B. The shaft B passes through the headstock A, and has at its other
ond the internal toothed wheel 13, shewn more particularly in Fig. 7, which
actuates simultaneously the three pinions B', B', B', (see Fig. 6) on three
short shafts which pass through the headstock A³; at the other end of these
short shafts are the three universal joints B3, B³, 13, by which the motion is
communicated to three other shafts B, 13, 13, at the opposite ends of which
are three other universal joints B, B, B, which again communicate motion
to the threo rollers 13, 13, and B30, by the action of which the bar of metal
is straightened or stretched. Whilst rotatory motion is thus communicated
to the three rollers B, B, and 13, the arrangement and combination of
mechanism just described enables us to move them laterally at the same time
in any direction which the operation of the machine may require. B", a
pinion on the first motion shaft B, which takes into the toothed wheel C',
which turns on the stud C; on the boss of the wheel C' is the pinion C², which
takes into the toothed wheel D' on the cam shaft D, D. D, D2, a
pair of
cams on the same shaft D, D, which actuate the slides E, E, which are
supported in the casings A, A, attached to the standards A', A'; the slides
E. E, have collars or filbows at the other ends, through which pass the necks
of the roller B, which is thus made to approacli the other rollers B³ and Bo
or recede from them at the proper time by the action of the pair of cams
D, D. D³, D, another pair of cams on the cam shaft D, D, which act upon
the levers F, F, on the axis F, F; the opposite arms of these levers F, F,
act upon the cross bar G, G, which extends across the frame under the rollers.
G. G', two sliding rods attached to each end of the cross bar G, G; these

page_text: sliding rods pass through holes in the standards A', A', and have at their
upper extremities the sliding blocks G, G, through which pass the necks of the
the upper roller B³; upon the sliding blocks G2, G3, rests the weight or heavy
bar G³, which extends across the frame above the rollers, and which thus acts
against the pair of cams D³, D³, and consequently presses the roller B³ down-
wards when permitted to do so by the action of the cams D³, D³ F, another
arm or lever attached to the axis F, F, which carries at the extremity the
sliding rod F, at the upper end of which is a cross bar, which carries a number
of prongs F, F, F, &c., the points of which pass through apertures in the
inclined plane H, H, which thus steadies the motion of the sliding rod F³.
D', another cam on the cam shaft D, D; it acts on the lever I', I', on the axis
I, I, which lever I', I', is pressed against the cam D' by the weight I*, which
depends from it. On the axis I, I, is fixed the lever I', the upper end of
which terminates in three arms I, I, 1, which move in slots in the cross
plate A2, A3, by which they are steadied. I, I, another lever at one
extremity of the same axis I, I, at the upper end of which is attached the
filbow I, through which is passed the bar of metal which is to be cut into
lengths and straightened. The upper end of the lever I, I, and the upper
ends of the arms I, I, I, are of such a form as to hold the bar of metal
whilst under the operation of cutting. K, an adjustable sliding stop. the
arm of which passes through a filbow attached to one of the standards A',
and which is. furnished with a pinching screw; by this means the length
to be cut off the bar of metal is adjusted as required. L, L, shaft which
carries the circular saw L', and which is supported in bearings on the
standards A', A; I, strap pulley by which motion is communicated to the
shaft L, L.
It will be seen that in Fig. 2 most of the internal moving parts are
indicated by dotted lines; also that the section, Fig. 5, is given in order to
exhibit more clearly the form and position of such of the moving parts as
could not properly be exhibited in the other Figures, and also for this purpose
the inclined plane H is not shewn in this Figure.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The circular saw L' being
put into rapid motion, and motion being also communicated to the shaft B,
the operator waits until the lever I', 1', and the weight I are raised by the
action of the cam D'; by this operation the levers 13 and I are drawn back-
wards, or from the saw; also by the action of the pair of cams D3, D³, the
roller B and weight G³ are lowered, and also the points of the prongs
F, F, F, &c. are raised, so as to pass through and above the inclined plane
H, H. The operator now passes the bar of metal through the filbow I, until

page_text: it meets with the stop K; the lever I', 1', and weight I, being next allowed to
descend, by the action of the cam D', the bar of metal is pressed against the
circular saw I by the levers 1 and 1; the proper length being cut off, i
falls on to the inclined plane H, II, down which it rolls until it meets wit
the prongs F, F, F, &c. The prongs F, F, F, &c. are next withdrawn
and the roller B and weight G³ raised by the action of the cams D, D
The length of bar cut off now continues its course down the inclined pland
until it is finally deposited betwixt the rollers 13° and B; the roller B now
again descends, until it comes into contact with the length of bar, which is
thus submitted to pressure betwixt the three rollers 13%, B, and B. The
rollers revolving at the same time, the length of bar becomes rapidly straight
or stretched. The roller B° is now allowed to slide backwards from the other
two rollers by the action of the pair of cams D, D, and slides E, E. This
operation liberates the length of bar from the rollers, and it falls on to the
inclined plane H, H, down which it rolls and is deposited in a receptacle
prepared for the purpose. During this operation, the lever I', I', and weight
1, are again raised by the nction of the cam D, and consequently the levers
I and I again drawn backwards or from the saw. The operator now again
pushes forward the bar of metal until the end comes in contact with the sliding
stop K, the levers again press the bar against the circular saw, another length
is cut off, and the operation repeated as before, and so on. It is obvious that
the apparatus just described may be divided into two separate machines, cach
having its own cam shaft. In this caso the first machine simply cuts the bar
into lengths, which fall on to the ground or floor. The length cut off is next
placed betwixt the rollers of the second machine by the attendant, and the
operation is completed, as before described.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would have it observed that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise arrangement and construction of the
several parts as herein-before described, as these may be varied; but that what
we claim as new, and of our Invention, is as follows:-
First, we claim the application and adaptation of the internal toothed wheel
133 in combination with the pinions B, B, B, to the purpose of actuating
the rollers used in machines for straightening or stretching bars of metal, as
set forth and described.
Second, we claim the application and adaptation of the universal joints
B, B, and B, the shafts B, B3, B4, and the universal joints 137, 17, B', to the
purpose of actuating the rollers used in machines for straightening or stretching
bars of metal, as set forth and described.

page_text: Third, we claim the application and adaptation of the cam shaft D, D, with
its appendages and appurtenances, to the purpose of cutting and straightening
bars of metal, as set forth and described.
Fourth, we claim the general arrangement, adaptation, construction, and
combination of the several parts of the machine for the purpose of cutting and
straightening bars of metal, as set forth in the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lees and William Heap, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Signed by the within-named John Lees and
William Heap, in the presence of
JOHN POTTER, C. E,
9, Corporation Street,
Manchester.
WILLIAM HEAP. (L.S.)