Improved Method and Apparatus for Cambering Rails and other Metallic Bars.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method and Apparatus for Cambering Rails and other
Metallic Bars.
I, JAMES DUFFIELD, of Ashfield, Workington, in the County of Cumberland,
Steel Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to give a "camber" to metallic bars such as
rails, angles, tees &c., that have irregular and ununiform sections, whilst they
are hot, for the purpose of inducing them to become straight during the operation
of cooling.
In the manufacture of rails, and other long bars, it is the common custom to saw
them whilst hot, to the desired lengths, then place them on what is generally
termed a "hot bed" 66
or gantry" where they are allowed to cool; and it is a well
known fact that if such rails or bars have irregular sections (the foot being of one
section and the head of another) they will whilst cooling assume a curved shape in
consequence of their members contracting unequally, this necessitates straightening
them when cold by "presses or other means which sometimes unduly strains the
fibres and molecules of the material and deforms the section of the bars.
"
To obviate this cold straightening as much as possible it has been proposed to
give such irregular sectioned bars, a curve or camber, whilst they are hot, in the
opposite direction to that which they would assume if allowed to cool in the usual
manner, so that they will have become straight or nearly so when they are cold.
do this in the following manner.
I
When a rail or bar has been rolled and sawn to the desired length whilst hot 1
convey it on to the hot bed in the usual manner and pass it over and in front of a
number of stops which so soon as the rail or bar has been moved past them come
into position to prevent the rail or bar from being moved backwards in the opposite
direction-the rail or bar is then forced back against the stops by traversing rams
which are made to bear against its ends and the stops being ranged in a curve or
camber the rail or bar is first bent where it bears against the central stops then
against those further from the centre and so on until the whole rail has been bent to
the curve or camber in which the stops are ranged. When the rail or bar has been
so curved the rams are moved out of the way and the rail or bar is conveyed along
the hot bed where it is allowed to become straight or nearly so, it can then be made
practically straight if necessary by presses in the usual manner without unduly
straining the material or deforming the section.
It will be easily understood that I can camber one or more bars at one operation
if desired.
3
Preferably I fix across the hot bed or gantry at any suitable distance from the
hot saw
a number of self acting, tilting stops the position and length of which
can be altered and regulated to suit the necessary camber that is intended to be
given to the rail or bar.
I also fix on each side of the hot bed or gantry and it may be also in any
intermediate position a traversing ram actuated by water, steam or other fluid
pressure; or the ram can be actuated by a rack and pinion, or a screw, the motive
power being given by means of belts and pullies; but by preference I adopt the
ram actuated by a piston and I control the movements of the ram in such a manner
that at the instroke of the piston the head of the ram is caused to retire below the
level of the hot bed floor in consequence of its arms being guided in an irregular
curved slot this is done in order that the cambered rail or bar may be passed further
along the hot bed by the usual means and manner. At the "outstroke" the head of

page_text: the ram being again guided by the slot is made to project above the floor of the hot
bed to enable it to come in contact with the rail or bar and force it against the
elevated ends of the stops.
1000
Improved Method and Apparatus for Cambering Rails and other
Metallic Bars.
I, JAMES DUFFIELD, of Ashfield, Workington, in the County of Cumberland,
Steel Works Manager, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to give a "camber" to metallic bars such as rails,
angles, tees &c., that have irregular and ununiform sections, whilst they are hot,
for the purpose of inducing them to become straight during the operation of
cooling.
In the manufacture of rails, and other long bars, it is the common custom to saw
them whilst hot, to the desired lengths, then place them on what is generally
termed a " hot-bed or "gantry" where they are allowed to cool and it is a well
known fact that if such rails or bars have irregular sections (the foot being of one
section and the head of another) they will whilst cooling assume a curved shape
in consequence of their members contracting unequally, this necessitates straighten-
ing them when cold by presses or other means which sometimes unduly
strains the fibres and molecules of the material and deforms the section of
the bars.
66
33
To obviate this cold straightening as much as possible it has been proposed to
give such irregular sectioned bars a curve or camber, whilst they are hot, in the
opposite direction to that which they would assume if allowed to cool in the usual
manner, so that they will have become straight or nearly so when they are cold.
I do this in the following manner :-
When a rail or bar has been rolled and sawn to the desired length whilst hot
I convey it on to the hot bed in the usual manner and pass it over and in front of
a number of stops which so soon as the rail or bar has been moved past them
come into position to prevent the rail or bar from being moved backwards in the
opposite direction--the rail or bar is then forced back against the stops by
traversing rams which are made to bear against its ends and the stops being ranged
in a curve or camber the rail or bar is first bent where it bears against the central
stops then against those further from the centre and so on until the whole rail has
been bent to the curve or camber in which the stops are ranged. When the rail or
bar has been so curved the rams are moved out of the way and the rail or bar is
conveyed along the hot bed where it is allowed to become straight or nearly so, it
can then be made practically straight if necessary by presses in the usual manner
without unduly straining the material or deforming the section.
It will be easily understood that I can camber one or more bars at one operation
if desired.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect
I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure 2 an elevation and Figure 3 a vertical section on
the line A B Figure 1.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one of the tilting stons with the bed plate which

page_text: Figure 8 is a plan of the same.
Figure 9 is a section on the line A A Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a section on the line B B Figure 7.
Figure 11 is an end elevation of the hydraulic cylinder.
Figure 12 is an elevation partly in section of a portion of the bed plate and
showing the head of the ram and the stop which controls the extent of its
movement.
Figure 13 shows the three different positions into which the stop can be set.
In these figures A is a fixed plate on which the rails or bars rest after they have
been sawn to length whilst hot. B is a hot bed or "gantry" formed as usual of
iron bars at a distance apart from one another. C are guide rails for the trucks
of the mechanism used for drawing the hot rails or bars over the hot bed B. This
mechanism is not shown in the drawing as it may be of any ordinary construction.
D is a bed plate carrying the stops and also the rams at the two ends of the hot
bed. E is a concrete foundation to which the bed plate is secured. F F are
tilting stops past which the hot rails or bars can be drawn by the drawing
forward mechanism—the stops yielding and allowing the rails or bars to pass over
them. The rear end of each tilting stop is made somewhat heavier than the front
end in order that it may cause the front end to always protrude above the level
of the hot bed except when a rail or bar is being drawn over it, then it yields
and is tilted or depressed to the level of the hot bed--
-a spring may if desired be
employed to assist in keeping up the front end of the stop if necessary. G Gare
packing pieces which are placed behind the frames F¹ which carry the stops F-
these packing pieces may be of different widths to allow of the position of the
stops being adjusted to suit the different curves or cambers to which the rails or
bars are to be bent. The frames F which carry the stops and the packing
pieces G are secured to the bed plate D by bolts as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.
HH are the heads of the rams by which the rails or bars are pressed back
against the stops F. Each ram head carries on each side of it a truck or roller H'
which is received between guides I.
H2 is a rod extending from the ram head and jointed at its end to a cross head J
which can be traversed to and fro between parallel guides J'. J2 is a piston rod
secured to the cross head J-this rod carries a piston which works in a cylinder K.
Water under pressure can be admitted to either one or other end of this cylinder
through the passages K¹.
L is a stop to control the extent of movement of the ram on its out-stroke.
The stop is as shown formed with three arms L1 L2 L3 of different lengths. If
each rail or bar is to be bent singly then the arm L¹ is set into position for the
head of the ram to come against it. If two rails or bars are to be bent
simultaneously the arm L² is set into position for the ram head to come against it
and if three are to be bent simultaneously then the arm L³ is set into proper
position for stopping the ram. As will be seen from Figure 7 the guides ]
between which the trucks or rollers on the ram heads H are received are curved
downwards at the end which is towards the cylinder K so that at the end of the
instroke of the piston rod J2 the ram head is carried down below the level of the
hot bed B. On the outstroke the ram head comes above the level of the hot bed
and into position to come against any rail or bar that may be resting upon it.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. The hot rails or bars after they have
been cut to length are drawn forward onto the hot bed and somewhat past the
stops F. They are then released from the drawing forward mechanism and the
rams H are made to come against their ends and to press them back against
the tilting stops until the rams come against the stops L. The rams are then made

page_text: to retire and the rails or bars which have now been bent to the required curve are
again drawn forward a distance over the hot bed so as to be past the rams.
It
is not essential that the stops against which the hot rails or bars are bent should
be carried in the way shown on the drawing, they might be carried in other ways
so long as the rails or bars can be moved past them in one direction but not in the
opposite direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method and apparatus for cambering rails and other metallic bars
substantially as herein described; that is to say, by passing the rails or bars
along the hot bed over stops; by causing the stops then to rise up behind the
rails or bars; by next thrusting back the rails or bars, by rams, against the
stops and finally by causing the rams to retire beneath the surface of the bed
and the rails or bars to pass on over them.
2. The combination, in a rail cambering machine, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth, of a bot bed; counterpoised stops pivoted below its upper surface, and
so constructed and arranged as normally to project above it, to be automatically
depressed below said surface by the passage of the rail laterally thereover, to rise
again behind the rail, to act as abutments therefor; and rams which thrust the
rail against the stop to bend it, and means for actuating the rams.
3. The combination, in a rail cambering machine, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth, of a hot bed; stops so constructed and arranged as to rise behind the
rail, after it has passed laterally thereover, to act as abutments therefor; rams
so constructed and arranged as to thrust the rail against the stops to bend it, and
then to sink below the bed to permit the bent rail to pass over them, and means
for actuating the rams.
4. The combination, in a rail cambering machine, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth, of a hot bed; counterpoised stops therein so constructed and arranged as
normally to project above it, to be automatically depressed by the passage of the
rail over them, and to rise again behind the rail, to act as abutments therefor;
rams which thrust the rail against the stops to bend it; guides inclined relatively
to the hot bed and engaging the rams so as alternately to lift the rams above it to
press the rail, and to lower them below it, to allow the rail to traverse the bed, and
means for actuating the rams.
Dated this 12th dow of March 1901
J. DUFFIELD.