IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE METHOD OF BEVILLING THE EDGES OF STRIPS OR PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF BEVILLING THE EDGES OF STRIPS OR PLATES,
AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE." A communication from abroad
by Robert Briggs, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1880.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF BEVILLING
THE EDGES OF STRIPS OR PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE."
[A communication from abroad by Robert Briggs, of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America.]
When the edge of a strip or plate is bevilled by passing it between squeezing
rolls, the material which is displaced by the squeezing action, if it cannot extend
itself laterally outwards from the bevilled edge, must strain the plate or strip
laterally, tending to buckle it, or by elongating the bevilled edge must strain that
edge longitudinally, and so tend to give the plate or strip a curvature in its own
plane. This Invention relates to the bevilling of edges of strips or plates by rolling
pressure, so directed that the lino of travel of the pressure along the edge operated
on coincides, or nearly so, with the line compounded of the onward longitudinal
traverse of the edge, and the outward lateral traverse of the material that is
displaced by the pressure, the buckling or bending strain on the material operated
on being thus prevented. For this purpose when cylindrical, rolls mounted on
inclined axes are employed, their axes are set in a plane which is not at right
angles to the line of travel of the plate or strip, but which is inclined at an angle to
that line, more or less acute, according as there is a greater or less quantity of
material displaced by the action of the rolls. In like manner when conical rolls
mounted on parallel axes are employed, the common plane of their axes is inclined
to the line of travel. Sometimes the edge is bevilled by being pressed between the

page_text: face of a disc and the periphery of a conical roller. In such a case the axis of the
roller is inclined as described to the line of travel of the material operated on, and
the axis of the disc is set so far in front thereof (that is to say, towards the feeding
front of the machine) that the point of the disc where the edge is subjected to the
pressure between the two surfaces (which point is behind the axis of the disc) is
travelling obliquely in relation to the travel of the material, that is to say, forwards
with the plato or strip, and outwards with the displaced material. For applying
this method for bevilling the edges of skelps or strips to be bent into tubes and
welded or otherwise united at the bevilled edges, a machine is constructed as
follows-On a bed are fitted two sliding frames carrying each a pair of rolls with
their axes, bearings, and driving gear, both being driven from one longitudinal shaft
mounted in the bed. The frames can be advanced-towards-each-other-or-drawn-
apart by right and left threads on a screw mounted in the bed, so that the distance
of the one pair of rolls from the other may be made to suit the width of the strip
operated on, in which position the frames are clamped on the bed. The axes of each
pair of rolls are in a vertical plane which is inclined backwards from the longitudinal
axis of the bed, so that the two planes if extended to meet in the middle would
form an obtuse angle with one another. In order to provide for driving rolls so
inclined to the driving shaft, the teeth of the gearing wheels and pinions are set at
a suitable obliquity. The rolls project beyond the ends of their respective frames,
the rolls of the oue facing those of the other, and both sets presenting coned
peripheries between which the edges of the strip is passed, so that both edges are
operated on simultaneously. Suitable guides project from the ends of the frames to
lend the strip in between the rolls, and beyond the pressing rolls there are also-guide-
rollers for the bevilled edge of the strip, these guide-rollers being grooved so as to
receive the bevilled edges, and the grooves being, if required, made of such shape,
or the axis of the roller placed at such an angle as to turn these edges upwards or
downwards. A machine thus arranged having the axes of its rolls at a fixed
inclination to the line of travel of the strip is suitable for strips of various widths,
in which the displacement of material by bevilling is approximately the same.
When a varying amount of displacement has to be provided for, the roller frames
are mounted on sliding turn plates, and the rollers are driven by bevil gear from a
vertical shaft, which is also driven by bevil gear from the driving shaft, so that the
obliquity of the roller axes can be varied, as well as the distance between tho
rolls, by swivelling their frames on the vertical shaft, and thus strips of various
thickness, as well as those of various widths, can be bevilled in the manner
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1880.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex. "LMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF BEVILLING
THE EDGES OF STRIPS OR PLATES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE."
A communication from abroad by Robert Briggs, of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
When the edge of a strip or plate is bevilled by passing it between squeezing
rolls, the material which is displaced by the squeezing action, if it cannot extend
itself laterally outwards from the bevilled edge, must strain the plate or strip
laterally, tending to buckle it, or by elongating the bevilled edge must strain that
edge longitudinally, and so tend to give the plate or strip a curvature in its own
plane. This Invention relates to the bevilling of edges of strips or plates by
rolling pressure, so directed that the line of travel of the prossure along the edge
operated on coincides, or nearly so, with the lino compounded of the onward
longitudinal traverse of the edge and the outward lateral traverse of the material
that is displaced by the pressure, the buckling or bending strain on the material
operated on being thus prevented. For this purpose, when cylindrical rolls mounted
on inclined axes are employed, their axes are set in a plane which is not at right
angles to the line of travel of the plate or strip, but which is inclined at an angle
to that line, more or less acute, according as there is a greater or less quantity of
material displaced by the action of the rolls. In like manner, when conical rolls
mounted on parallel axes are employed the common plane of their axes is inclined
to the line of travel. Sometimes the edge is bevilled by being pressed between
the face of a disc and the periphery of a conical roller. In such a case the axis of
the roller is inclined, as described, to the line of travel of the material operated
on, and the axis of the disc is set so far in front thereof (that is to say, towards the
feeding front of the machine) that the point of the disc where the edge is
subjected to the pressure between the two surfaces (which point is behind the axis
of the disc) is travelling obliquely in relation to the travel of the material, that is
to say, forwards with the plate or strip and outwards with the displaced material.
For applying this method for bevilling the edges of skelps or strips to be bent
into tubes and welded or otherwise united at the bevilled edges, a machino is
constructed as follows:-On a bed are fitted two sliding frames carrying each a
pair of rolls with their axes, bearings, and driving gear, both being driven from
one longitudinal shaft mounted in the bed. The frames can be advanced towards
each other or drawn apart by right and left threads on a screw mounted in the
bed, so that the distance of the one pair of rolls from the other may be made to
suit the width of strip operated on, in which position the frames are clamped on
the bed. The axes of each pair of rolls are in a vertical plane which is inclined
backwards from the longitudinal axis of the bed, so that the two planes if
extended to meet in the middle would form an obtuse angle with one another. In
order to provide for driving rolls so inclined to the driving shaft, the teeth of the
gearing wheels and pinions are set at a suitable obliquity. The rolls project
beyond the ends of their respective frames, the rolls of the one facing those of the
other, and both sets presenting coned peripheries between which the edges of the
strip are passed, so that both edges are operated on simultaneously. Suitable
guides project from the ends of the frames to lead the strip in between the rolls,
and beyond the pressure rolls there are also guide rollers for the bevilled edges of
the strip, these guide rollers being grooved so as to receive the bevilled edges, and
the grooves being, if required, made of such shape or the axes of the rollers placed

page_text: at such an angle as to turn theso edges upwards or downwards. A machine thus
arranged, having the axes of its rolls at a fixed inclination to the line of travel
of the strip, is suitable for strips of various widths in which the displacement of
material by bevilling is approximately the same. When a varying amount of
displacement has to be provided for the roller frames are mounted on sliding turn
plates, and the rollers are driven by bevil gear from a vertical shaft, which is also
driven by bevil gear from the driving shaft, so that the obliquity of the roller axes
can be varied, as well as the distance between the rolls, by swivelling their frames
on the vertical shaft, and thus strips of various thickness, as well as those of
various widths, can be bevilled in the manner described.
In
Figs. 1, 1ª, and 1º are front views; Figs. 2, 2ª, and 2º aro plans; and Figs. 3, 3ª,
and 3b are end views, which respectively shew diagrammatically three arrangements
of rolls according to this Invention for bevilling the edges of strips or plates.
these Figures R, R, Ra, Ra, Rb, Rbb, aro the rolls turned respectively to the profile
required for the bevil, and having their axes mounted in the housings A, Aª, A",
Ab and Abb The strip or plate operated on is shewn at B. In the arrangements
indicated at Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and also at Fig. 1ª, 2, and 3ª, the vertical plane
passing through the axes of the rolls is inclined at an angle to the line of travel of
the material operated on. The effect of this may be explained with reference to
the case presented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In this case the axes of the rolls R, R, are
inclined to one another, so that while they have conical contact surfaces_g_their
surfaces which act on B are cylindrical, all parts of these surfaces thereforo
moving with the same velocity, so that there is no slip or grinding action on B such
as would result from the use of conical surfaces, as in Figs. 1º, 2º, and 30, or from 1
conical and disc surfaces, as in Figs. 1b, 2b, and 3b.
For this reason the arrange-
ment of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is generally to be preferred. When a plate or strip B of
uniform thickness is introduced between the rolls R, R, the material displaced by
the thinning of its edge must spread itself laterally outwards as the material
advances. When the bevil has a triangular section terminating in a sharp edge,
the triangle to contain the same sectional area as the rectangular portion operated
on must have double the height, or in other words, the amount of lateral spread
must be half the width of the bevil, and this spread has to be given to each
successive portion of the material as it is passing between the rolls. The actual
movement of the material undergoing displacement must therefore be in a direction
which is compounded of the forward travel and the outward spread. From the
diameter of the rolls and the thickness of the material the length of arc over which
the squeezing contact extends can be ascertained, and this length being taken to be
the hypoteneuse of a right angle triangle having its base in the line of travel of the
material and its height half the width of the bevil; the direction of this hypoteneuse
should be that of the travel of a point in the circumference of the roll, and
therefore the axis of the roll should be perpendicular to the said hypotenuse. In
a similar way the proper obliquity of rolls suited to other forms of bevils can
be ascertained. In the arrangement of rolls shewn in Figs. 14, 2, and 3ª, although
owing to the use of coned rolls there is a slight grinding and unequal stretching
action on the material, this is practically unimportant so long as the rolls are set
at the required obliquity, as above explained. In the arrangement shewn in
Figs. 1b, 2b, and 3b, a disc Rbb is employed to form the upper bearing for B. This
disc should have its axis placed so far in front of the squeezing position that
the arc of its periphery which overlies the material when it is undergoing its
squeeze may approximately coincide with the hypoteneuse determined as above
explained. Obviously instead of a plane disc a disc coned at the edge might
be employed for producing a bevil such as is shewn in Figs. 1 and 1º. The
Figures above referred to being intended to illustrate diagrammatically modes
of applying this Invention, it is to be understood that complete machines

page_text: for the purpose are provided with the usual appliances, such as bed plates, housings,
guards, guides, and the like, the plates or strips operated on being either drawn
through the rolls by draw bench action or passed through by the action of the rolls
themselves. Also, to suit different forms of bevil and different widths of material,
the rolls should be made adjustable in inclination and position; as examples of
machines so adapted two different forms are shewn on Sheet II. of the accompanying
Drawings, Figs. 1º, 2º, and 30 representing respectively a longitudinal section, a
plan, and a transverse section of the one machine, and Figs. 1d, 2d, and 3d being
corresponding views of the other. Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3c, Z is a bed
plate supporting two sets of housings, one set of which is shewn at A, another set
being supposed to be placed on the bed on the opposite side of the plate or strip
or skelp that is to be bevilled. These housings are adjustable by the right and left
threaded screw y towards or from each other, according as the strip is of less or
greater width, and when they aro adjusted they are clamped to the bed by
bolts a, a.
The housings have bearings r, 24, of usual kind for the axes of the
rolls R, R', and their gearing pinions P, P, and to allow for wear of the rolls the
front bearings 7, 7, have liners interposed which can be varied in number and
thickness, these and the bearings being tightened by the nuts a". Guide
brackets C and guard brackets D are attached to each set of housings. The main
driving shaft X, which is driven by a wheel V or otherwise, works in bearings x, x,
at the ends of the bed, and it has on it sliding sleeves W, W, which work in
bearings x, x, projecting down from the housings. On the sleeves W, which
revolve with but can slide along the shaft X, are pinions P1 gearing with P¹, which
gear with P, the teeth of these pinions being set obliquely to suit the obliquity of
their axes. In the guide brackets C are fitted fingers fadjustable by screws c to guide
the edges of the skelp as it enters between the rolls, and in the guard brackets D are
mounted grooved rollers d adjustable by screws to guide the bevilled skelp as it
issues from the rolls. The axes of the guide rollers & may be set at an angle,
so that their grooves will have the effect of bending or setting the bevilled
edge that passes through them. Referring now to Figs. 1d, 2d, and 3d, shewing a
machine suitable for bevilling skelps to form lap welded tubes, the housings and
driving gear are so arranged that the axes of the rolls can be more or less inclined
to the line of travel of the skelp, so as to suit various bevils and thicknesses, while
the rolls can also be adjusted to suit various widths of skelp. The lower parts A¹
of the housings A (of which only one is shewn) can be slid along the bed Z by the
screw y, and clamped in position by the bolts a. The parts A form turntables,
on which the upper parts of the housings can be turned round a vertical axis and
can be clamped by tightening bolts a¹ on clamp bars g. The shafts r, r', of the
rolls R, R', and pinions P, P¹, revolve in bearings b arranged in the usual way. The
lower shaft has on it a bevil pinion 9 gearing with a pinion q' on a vertical shaft
, mounted in the centre of the turntable, and driven by bevil gear q", q¹¹, from
the driving shaft X, which, as previously described, is fitted with sliding sleeves.
The clamp bars g may be extended forward to carry guide fingers and guide
rollers, or these may be bracketted from the housings, as previously described.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim in respect of the method of and apparatus for bevilling the edge of strips or
plates,―
First. Setting the bevilling rolls in such a position and at such obliquity to the
line of travel of the material operated on that the part of the roll which is
squeezing moves in the same direction as the material that is being displaced by
its action, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use of a pair of cylindrical rolls, having their axes inclined to one
another in the vertical plane to suit the angle of the bevil, and having the vertical
plane of their axes inclined to the line of travel of the material to suit its onward
movement and outward displacement, substantially as herein described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

page_text: Third. The use of a pair of rolls coned to suit the bevil, and having the vertical
plane of their axes inclined to the line of travel of the material to suit its onward
movement and outward displacement, substantially as herein described with
reference to Figs. 1*, 2, and 3º.
Fourth. The use of, a coned roll in combination with a disc, the axis of the roll
being set obliquely to the travel of the material, and the axis of the disc being
mounted in advance of the squeezing position, so that both squeezing surfaces move
in the direction of the material displaced by their action, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figs. 1b, 2b, and 3b.
Fifth. The construction of bevilling machine, with rolls set obliquely mounted in
housings adjustable-towards-or-from-each-other, substantially_as_and_for_the
purposes herein described with reference to Figs. 10º, 2º, and 3º.
Sixth. The construction of bevilling machine with rolls adjustable in their
obliquity mounted in housings adjustable towards or from each other, substantially
as and for the purpose herein described with reference to Figs. 1d, 2d, and 3d.
Seventh. In bevilling machines of the kinds referred to in the preceding claims,
the use of grooved rollers for guiding the bevilled strip or plate, these rollers
having their axes set at an inclination so that their grooves bend or set the
bevilled edges guided by them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty