Improvements in the Manufacture of Billets, Wire Rods, Merchant Bars, Sheets, and the like from Steel Rails, Parts of Steel Rails, or Steel Rail Ends.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct.. 1888
Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Billets, Wire Rods, Merchant
Bars, Sheets, and the like from Steel Rails, Parts of Steel Rails,
or Steel Rail Ends.
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JOSEPH BETTS BRADSHAW, of Handsworth Woodhouse near Sheffield, in the
County of York, Iron manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BILLETS, WIRE RODS,
MERCHANT BARS, SHEETS AND THE LIKE FROM STEEL RAILS, PARTS OF STEEL RAILS OR
STEEL RAIL ENDS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
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! Steel Rails, parts of Steel rails, and rail ends, are largely used in the manufacture
of Billets, Wire rods, Merchant Bars, Sheets and the like, for this purpose the rails or
parts, are usually cut or broken, first into short lengths, and afterwards the pieces so
broken or the rail ends, as the case may be, are divided longitudinally through
the webs. The separate pieces so divided are then heated and rolled into billets.
The billets so formed being afterwards cut to the required length, reheated and
rolled off into Wire rods, Merchant Bars, Sheets and the like.
There are various methods at present in use for separating or dividing the Rails
longitudinally, and for the most part special machinery and appliances are employed
for the purpose.
In carrying out my Invention I perform this operation in a simple, effective and
inexpensive manner, without the employment of special Machinery.
I effect this by planing in an ordinary planing or shaping machine, a groove along
that portion of the web of the rail where the fracture is required to be made, and
in ordinary cases have found in practice, that a groove so formed on one side
is sufficient; though if necessary a groove or grooves may be planed on both sides of
the web.
The rails or parts of rails, or rail ends, so grooved are then submitted to pressure
under a drop or press or other suitable Machine or appliance, the grooved side being
turned downwards, and on sufficient pressure being brought to bear upon the web of
the rail opposite to the groove, a fracture of the rail, in the direction of its length is
mado along the line of the groove or grooves.

page_text: Short pieces may be broken in this manner throughout their length, by the pressure
being applied at one end, or within a few inches of one end only, and longer or
tougher pieces may be broken by similar pressure being applied to each end, or by
several successive applications of pressure at various points of their length.
By planing two grooves parallel to each other on one side of the web, a double
headed or flat bottomed rail, or parts, or ends of such rails, may in this manner have
their heads, or the head and flange separated from the web, leaving in case of a double
headed rail, two pieces which have formed the heads, and one piece which has formed
the web and in the case of a flat bottomed rail, one piece which has formed the hoad,
one piece which has formed the flange and one piece which has formed the web. The
separate pieces thus formed, or the pieces. formed by the process previously described
(by which they are divided into two parts) are then heated and rolled off into billets,
wire rods, merchant bars, sheets and the like at one heat, in, the same or in a
similar manner to the process or processes ordinarily employed in rolling such
manufactures from billets which have been otherwise prepared."
Various machines or appliances may be employed for making the fracture such as a
drop or stamp, a hydraulic press, a screw or lever press, a punching press, a rail
straightening Machine, any of which may be actuated by power, or in some cases a
Steam Hammer or other equivalent appliance may be used.
A like method is applicable in the preparation, for the purposes herein described, of
other sections of Steel or rails.
In planing the groove or grooves several lengths of rails or parts of rails may be
placed at one time upon a planing or shaping machine table parallel to each other,
and two or more grooving tools may be employed, or several short lengths of rails
may be placed end to end either in one length or in several parallel lengths and when
necessary a groove or grooves may be planed on both sides of the web or webs of such
rails or parts of rails.
Besides dispensing with specially constructed machinery I am enabled by the
means I employ for grooving and breaking the rails to detect the hard rails from
the soft.
I disclaim in connection with the present specification the application of this
invention to the manufacture of hoops a patent having been already granted to me in
this respect in 1887 and numbered 5875."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
(1) The improvements in the manufacture of Billets, Wire rods, merchant Bars
Sheets and the like from Steel rails, parts of rails or rail ends by, the combined
processes of first planing or shaping in an ordinary planing or shaping Machine
a groove or grooves longitudinally in the web or webs of such rails, parts of rails
or rail ends, by means of which groove or grooves the line of fracture is directed,
and secondly by the employment of a screw or power press or a Drop or other
equivalent Machine or appliance ordinarily in use for effecting the fracture, and
thirdly, heating and rolling the pieces so fractured into Billets, Wire rods, Merchant
Bars, Sheets and the like at one heat substantially as herein described and set
forth.
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