IMPROVE- MENTS IN COATING METAL PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Lewis and John Lewis, of Llanelly, in the
County of Carmarthen, Tinner's Foremen, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COATING METAL PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Lewis and John
Lewis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March
1881.
RICHARD LEWIS and JOHN LEWIS, of Llanelly, in the County of Carmarthen,
Tinner's Foremen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COATING METAL PLATES, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
This Invention has for its object improvements in coating metal plates, and in
apparatus employed therein. For this purpose we employ a combination of three
pots, a flat pot filled with metal, an intermediate grease pot, and a finishing grease
pot. The plates to be coated are passed downwards through a flux box into the
flat pot filled with metal, and are led along between pairs of rolls below the
surface of the metal, from one end of the pot to the other. At the further end of
the pot they are guided upwards so that they may pass over the end of the pot,
and are then guided downwards into a shallow grease pot, through which they are
led between pairs of rolls below the grease line. From the end of this grease pot
the plates are caused to descend into the finishing grease pot, from which they are
lifted to the nip of rolls, which raise them from the pot and finish them in the
ordinary way.
The object attained by using the intermediate grease pot is to cool the plates
after they leave the tin pot and before they enter the finishing grease pot.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Lewis and John Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st September 1881.
RICHARD LEWIS and JOHN LEWIS, of Llanelly, in the County of Carmarthen,
Tinner's Foremen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COATING METAL PLATES, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in coating metal plates, and in
apparatus employed therein. For this purpose we employ a combination of three
pots, a flat pot filled with metal, an intermediate grease pot, and a finishing grease
pot. The plates to be coated are passed downwards through a flux box into the
flat pot filled with metal, and are led along between pairs of rolls below the surface
of the metal from one end of the pot to the other. At the further end of the pot
they are guided upwards, so that they may pass over the end of the pot, and are
then guided downwards into a shallow grease pot, through which they are led
between pairs of rolls below the grease line. From the end of this grease pot the
plates are caused to descend into the finishing grease pot from which they are
lifted to the nip of rolls which raise them from the pot and finish them in the
ordinary way.
The object attained by using the intermediate grease pot is to cool the plates
after they leave the tin pot and before they enter the finishing grease pot.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of apparatus constructed according to our Invention, and
suitable especially for the manufacture of tin and terne plates.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is also a vertical section, and shows a variation herein after described.
a, b, and c, are the three pots which are combined into one system. The pot a is
a metal pot; it is set over a fire place where is the fire by which the coating metal
is kept in a molten and suitably heated state; a' is the flux box containing the
flux, through which as is usual the plates are passed down to enter the coating
metal; a are rollers below the surface of the coating metal and thoroughly coated
with it; by these rollers the plates descending through the flux box are taken and
conveyed to the further end of the pot; a³, a³, are stationary guides to confine the
plates between the rollers; a, a, are guides which the plate enters when it reaches
the end of the pot a; they convey it over the partition between the pots a and b,
and enter it into the grease which the latter pot contains. The lower guide
protects the plates or sheets from impurities at the exit side of the bath.
The intermediate pot b is in free communication with the grease pot c, so that
the grease stands at the same level in the two pots, but when at work the grease
is usually hotter in the pot 6 than it is in c, in consequence of the heat carried over
by the plates from the metal pot a; b¹, b', are carrying rollers in the pot b, and the
lower roller of each pair dips into a pocket in which coating metal is retained, so
that the surfaces of these rollers are kept bathed with metal, and the passage of
the plates between these rollers tends to improve the coating upon them; 63, 63, are
guides in the pot b. The grease pot c is of an ordinary form, except that it com-
municates with the pot b. The plates coming from the pot 6 through the guides
63, 6, descend into the lifting cradle c³, and when this cradle is raised in the usual
way by the depression of the handle o³ a plate is raised and presented to the lower

page_text: of the two pair of finishing rollers c³, c³. The plate is then by the rollers brought
up vertically out of the grease and is delivered in a finished condition. The upper
pair of finishing rollers is usually only partially immersed in the grease; c' is a little
cistern with a spout, which being kept supplied with melted coating metal delivers
it gradually upon the lower pair of finishing rollers c³. The pot c is provided with
a fire by which the grease is warmed in starting the apparatus, but afterwards the
heat brought over by the plates from the metal pot a will usually be sufficient.
There are flues beneath the pot 6 by which when the apparatus is at work cold air
can be allowed to pass to the chimney to keep down the temperature when it tends
to rise too high.
The whole of the rollers are geared and driven at the same surface speed and are
provided with the fittings which are usual when rollers are employed in coating
and finishing pots. The gear wheels are not shown in the Drawings; they are
within the sides of the pots, and some of them are immersed in the metal and
grease.
In place of making use of the cradle to raise the plates to the finishing rollers,
we in some cases alter the position of the lower pair of finishing rollers, and so
arrange the guides 6s, 63, that the plates rise to them in an oblique direction
on leaving the intermediate pot b. This arrangement is clearly represented in
Figure 3.
It will be seen that the plates or sheets emerge from the metal in the coating
pot, and that they are partially cooled by a passage through the air, whilst a
further cooling is effected by the grease in the intermediate pot. The plates or
sheets are thus brought to a temperature suitable for finishing by the rollers and
grease contained in the last or finishing grease pot.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim,-
First. Our improvements in coating sheets and plates with tin or terne metal or
like alloy, consisting in causing the plates or sheets to pass from a compartment or
pot containing the coating metal at the temperature required for coating, through
guides into an intermediate compartment or pot containing cooling grease, and
thence into a third compartment or pot containing grease, and in which the sheets
or plates are finished by rollers.
Second. Our three pot combination, comprising a flat metal pot, an intermediate
grease pot, and a finishing grease pot, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Lewis and John Lewis, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
0
Witness,
J. CLEMENT,
Ironfounder,
Llanelly.
RICHARD LEWIS. (L.S.)
JOHN LEWIS, (L.S.)