Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cleaning Tinned or other Metal Plates.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug.. 1892-Accepted. 12th Nov.; 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cleaning Tinned or
other Metal Plates.
We, THOMAS JOHN RICKARD of Beaconsfield Cottage, Sebastopol, in the
County of Monmouth, South Wales, Mechanical Engineer, and ISAAC BUTLER of
Panteg House, Panteg near Newport in the County of Monmouth, aforesaid, Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention refers to machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other
metal plates by passing the same through a cleaning substance, material, or com-
position hereafter in this Specification termed "material," and the object of our
said invention is to construct a machine or apparatus that will automatically receive
the plates to be cleaned, will carry the latter through the "material" contained in
a box or tank at least twice, exposing the plate to the action of the same cleaning
material but in different position cach time, and so that each of the surfaces of the
plates will be uppermost alternately in passing through the said "material" and
thus be treated equally. The machine will then automatically deliver the cleaned
plates to rollers.
According to our invention we provide a box or tank for holding the "material"
across which box extends a shaft carried in bearings and rotated by suitable
means; mounted on the main shaft at either side and within the box or tank sides,
are two wheels formed with an odd number of arms say five, at the extremities of
which holes are formed to act as bearings for shafts of suitable section (centrally
say square), upon which any convenient number of carriers are fixed (upon the
square part of the shafts and between the wheels), while at the ends of the shafts
outside the wheels, projecting tappet or cam arms are fixed, which latter as the
wheels rotate and revolve the carriers, come in contact with tappet pieces or rollers
fitted to or carried from the side or sides of the box. The plates to be cleaned are
fed to the machine by a movable (endless band) rack so driven as to periodically
deposit a plate on a rest at proper times.
The motion of the carrier shaft and carriers of each of the arms of the wheels
are exactly similar but take place in regular rotation, and it will therefore be
sufficient if we now refer to apparatus carried by one opposite pair of such arms
and to devices co-acting therewith.
Assuming the arms have been moved forward, to bring carriers into position to
receive a plate the carriers are tilted forward by the cam arm coming into contact
with one of the rollers while at about the same time one end of carrier shaft presses
upon a lever which liberates the plate from the rest by lowering a stop, the plate
thus falling direct into the carrier fork. The arms of the wheels still revolving
carry the plate through the dipping or cleaning material and emerging therefrom a
second cam arm mounted on the carriers or on the carrier shaft, comes in contact
with a roller which causes the shaft to revolve a half circle in which position it is
held by suitable detent springs pressing against a side of the square part of the
shaft. In this position the plate and carriers enter into the cleaning material the
second time, but the upper side of the plate is now reversed.
After leaving the "material" the cam arm comes into contact with a roller which
causes the carriers to revolve into such a position that the plate falls out and slides
between sheepskin covered rollers. The dusting arrangement may be composed of
a pair of sheepskin covered rollers the upper fast speeded and the other slow, the
plate is then guided to a second pair the lower fast speeded the upper slow all being
driven from central shaft the slow by chains, the fast by spur wheels or in other
suitable manner. Links may be employed to connect rolls for setting same.

page_text: It will thus be evident that the plate has gone through the cleaning material
twice being exposed in a different position each time so that cach surface of the
plate will be uppermost alternately in going through the cleaning material.
The carriers are forked or bifurcated being fixed to the shaft at about the central
part of one arm the extremity of which is slightly bent outwards to guide the plate
on its entering between the arms while the opposite arm is turned back to form a
sort of hook intended to prevent the plate from slipping out (just before entering
cleaning material the second time) as the plate would rest upon the ledge, but on
entering cleaning material which would have a retarding effect the plate would be
forced back to back end of carrier and thus drop clear of hooked part.
Instead of the cam arms, pinions may be fastened to the carrier shafts and racks
may be substituted in place of rollers.
If found desirable the carriers may be hinged at back end to allow the front
to open.
The carrier shafts may be cranked each end so as to allow the plate to travel in
the same path each time.
The carriers may be fixed to chains instead of the wheel arms, and by having a
longer box set at an angle, the rollers or rack arrangement may be arranged to
reverse the carriers in the cleaning material itself (after it has travelled through
about one half) so that the plate may only go through once.
"
The box for holding "material may have a false bottom or a coiled pipe, for
water to circulate through, so as to keep material cool.
The box may be made to rock or oscillate up and down, by resting upon a knife
edge near the centre, or on a plain bearing.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cleaning Tinned or
other Metal Plates.
We THOMAS JOHN RICKARD of Beaconsfield Cottage Sebastopol in the
County of Monmouth South Wales Mechanical Engineer and ISAAC BUTLER, of
Panteg House, Panteg near Newport in the County of Monmouth aforesaid Steel
Manufacturer 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 :-
Our invention refers to machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other
metal plates by passing the same through a cleaning substance material, or
composition hereafter in this Specification termed material, and the object of the
said invention is to construct a machine or apparatus that will automatically receive
the plates to be cleaned, will carry the latter through the "material" contained in
a box or tank at least twice, exposing the plate to the action of the same cleaning
material but in different position each time, and so that each of the surfaces of the
plates will be uppermost alternately in passing through the said material and thus be
treated equally. The machine will then automatically deliver the cleaned plates
to rollers.
The invention will be readily understood by the following description having
reference to the accompanying drawings on which
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 shew respectively front, and side elevations and plan of so much
of a cleaning machine for tin plates constructed according to the invention as will
be necessary to fully explain same :-Figure 4 being an elevation of the back frame
of same machine.

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 shew in end elevation and side elevation respectively the
arrangement of dusting rollers all as hereafter described.
Refering more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 we provide a trough, box, or tank A
for holding the "material," across which box extends a shaft B carried in bearings
and rotated by spur gearing B' C from first motion shaft CI carried in bearings from
the box A and driven through pulleys C2 Mounted on the main shaft at either
side and within the trough sides are two wheels D carried between the peripheries
of which there are an odd number of shafts E, say five, the extremities of which are
mounted in bearings formed in or on the said peripheries of the wheels D: Upon
the shafts E a convenient number of carriers F are fixed, while at the ends of the
shaft E outside the wheels D, projecting tappet or cam plates G are mounted and
as the wheels D rotate and revolve the carriers F the said cam plates G, come in
contact with tappet devices all as hereafter described, fitted to or carried from
the side or sides of the trough.
The carriers all of which are of similar construction are each composed of
arms F F and a back part F while the shaft E is not continued in a straight line
across through the carrier, but is looped centrally as is shewn at Figure 2, and to
the loop the bars or arins F F are secured. The lower set of arms F are some-
what hooked as at Fix Fig. 1 to retain the plate; the back part F2 of the carrier
is made adjustable, and being fixed to the extreme side arms F F1 Fig. 3 along.
which it may be shifted to suit the size of plate to be carried. Each shaft E on
one end (the front end in Fig. 1) has fixed thereto one of the aforesaid cam plates G
while at the other end each shaft has a crank H with a projecting pin H' thereon,
which when the machine is in motion enters from time to time into engagement
with grooved parts J J¹ Figure 4 provided on the interior face of the back vertical
side of the box A.
Mounted on a bracket from the box A is a tappet roller K which as the carriers
are revolved acts upon the cam plates G for giving same a half turn. Upon each
cam plate G there are two studs GG which after the carriers have passed the
tappet roller K come against a fixed guide har L best seen at Figure 1, the purpose
of the guide bar L being to retain the carriers in proper position during a portion
of their revolution. The plates to be cleaned are fed to the machine by a movable
(endless band) rack, so driven as to periodically deposit a plate on a rest at proper
times. Such a rack is shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 having arms M, on or between
which the plates are carried. The rack receives a step by step motion at proper
times by an eccentric M on the shaft C actuating a pawl-carrying lever N
Figure 4, engaging with a ratchet wheel N mounted upon a shaft N carrying one
of the sprocket wheels of the chain rack M Figures 1 and 3. PP are counter-
balanced bell-crank levers mounted upon brackets from the box A, the arms P
thereof being connected together by a rod Px, which is struck by the carriers Fat
the proper time as hereafter mentioned when treating of the action of the
mechanism. The arm P' of the bell-crank is pivotted to the side bars of a table R
at R the pivot passing through a slotted guide bracket R, while the upper ends of
the bars of the table R are provided with supporting tongues for holding the table
in position. The lower ends of the table K have pivotted thereto, stops S, the
extended ends S¹ thereof when the table is depressed coming against fixed studs S
to cause the upper ends of the said stops to come in alignment with the table and
allow the plate to escape therefrom.
The action of this mechanism is as follows:-The plates to be cleaned are placed
on the movable rack M whereby each plate is consecutively and at proper periods
fed onto the sloping table R. where it rests against the stops S ready at the proper
moment to slide into one of the five carriers F. The carriers F as will have been
readily understood by the pregoing description of mechanism come alternately into
the positions, such as indicated at Fig. 1, marked W and X the revolution of the
carriers round the axis B, being in the direction of the arrow shewn in that figure.
During the said revolution of the carriers F.the cam plates G engage with the
fixed pin or roller K which causes the carriers to be turned about their respective

page_text: axes half of a revolution, moving for instance from the position W to that
marked X, and the carriers are kept in position after passing the roller K by the
pins coming against the guide bar L, until they consecutively reach the
grooves JJ Figure 4 when the pins H¹ of the cranks H enter one or other of
the said grooves according to the position of the carrier.
Thus when the carrier marked X Figure 1 arrived at this point the pin H
will enter the slot J Fig. 4 and by the eccentric form of that guide-slot the
carrier will be caused to turn outwards and engage and operate the ends P of the
bell-crank moving the latter in the direction of the arrow whereby the table Ris
moved forwards in the curved slots, and approximately follows the path of the
open mouth of the carrier for a short distance. The ends S¹ of the stops then
come in contact with fixed pins or studs S2 and cause the stops to revolve until
they allow the plate to slide into the carrier. The plate is then carried through
the bran or the like "material" and cleaned on one surface, and the carrier on
reaching the fixed roller K receives a half turn as described, and on the grooves JJ
being again reached the carrier is not again turned outwards owing to the pin H
this time entering the slot J, and consequently does not act on the bell-crank and
the same plate is carried again through the "material" for a second time in a
position reverse to the first time.
On reaching the roller K the carrier receives another half revolution and the
plate is free to slide out onto a receiving table T to be further dealt with as
hereafter described, whilst the carrier is in the proper position to take another
plate when it reaches the feed side of the machine.
It will thus be evident that the plate has gone through the cleaning material
twice, being exposed in a different position each time, so that each surface of the
plate is uppermost alternately in going through the cleaning material.
From the receiving table T the plate slides or is slidden between the rollers
shewn at Figs. 5 and 6 before mentioned. This dusting arrangement is composed
of variously speeded rollers of which the front pair a a¹ may be covered with
sheepskin, but we generally prefer the quick speeded roller a to be covered with
sheepskin and slow speeded roller with india rubber, the last pair of rollers b
being covered in the like manner and speeded reversely to the first pair, in such
manner that the fast roller will be uppermost in one pair and lowermost in the
other pair. By this arrangement the plate passing through is subjected to a
rubbing action on alternate sides.
In order to convey plates from one pair of rollers to another pair endless bands c
are employed.
These on the example shewn extend around the roller a¹ and over a roller d.
The fast rollers a and b are driven by toothed gearing from spur wheel e on shaft f
and a pinion on shaft drives pinion 7 on shaft g'. The slow speed rollers are
driven by chains as shown these latter being sufficiently loose to allow of
being readily removed from the wheels. The pressure between the pairs of rollers
is maintained and made adjustable by being mounted on vertically sliding bearings
acted upon by bars K which may be resilient in their action or be provided with
spring devices, say as shown at Figure 5.
To enable the rolls to be readily changed the bearing slides are formed with
the cap as at Fig. 5, made removable for example by being slotted whereby
by loosening the top and bottom nuts the caps may be slidden upwards, the
chains taken off from the chain wheels, and the rollers removed when SO
desired.
In the arrangement shewn at Fig. 5 and 6 the fast rollers revolve in fixed
bearings, while the slow rollers revolve in sliding bearings although of course
such arrangement is subject to modification according to circumstances.
Instead of the cam plates G pinions may be fastened to the carrier shafts and
racks may be substituted in place of rollers, such as K.
If found desirable the carriers may be hinged at back end to allow the front
to open.

page_text: The carrier shafts may be cranked at each end so as to allow the plate to
travel in the same path each time.
The box for holding "material" may have a false bottom or a coiled pipe for
water to circulate through, so as to keep material cool.
The box may be made to rock or oscillate up and down by resting upon a knife
edge near the centre or on a plain bearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
1. The machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other metal plates
wherein the plates to be cleaned are passed through a single trough of cleaning
material, then automatically reversed in position, again passed through the same
trough in this reversed position, and mechanically delivered onto a table, whereby
both surfaces of the plates will be equally treated, only one trough being employed,
and the whole of the action is effected mechanically substantially as set forth.
2. In machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other metal plates the
trough A for containing the cleaning material, cross shaft B and driven wheels D,
carriers F on oscillating shafts E carried by wheels D the cam plates G and
cranks H in combination with the tappet roller or pin K grooves J J and guide
bar L substantially, at herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
3. In machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other metal plates, the
travelling chain rack M receiving a step by step motion by for example an
eccentric M the rod of which operates a ratchet device N, whereby the plates to
be cleaned are carried at a proper speed to the cleaning machine and delivered to
a table R, together with the devices appertaining to and connected with the bell-
cránk lever P P for tilting and traversing the table R in combination with the
machinery or apparatus claimed by Claim 2 substantially as herein described and
shewn.
4. In machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other metal plates, the
combination with a machine whereby the plates are traversed through a trough,
then reversed, and again passed through the same trough in the reversed position
of the variously speeded "dusting" rollers arranged and acting as described with
reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, all substantially as
set forth.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts composing my improve-
ments in machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other metal plates all
substantially as hereinbefore described together with any mere modification or
modifications thereof.
Dated this 001