IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING MILLS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, STEEL, AND OTHER METALS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Kirk, of Workington, in the County of Cumberland,
Iron Manufacturer, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING MILLS
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, STEEL, AND OTHER METALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Kirk at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25 February 1882.
PETER KIRK of Workington in the County of Cumberland, Iron Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING MILLS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, STEEL
AND OTHER METALS."
My Invention has reference to rolling mills employed in the manufacture of
iron, steel and other metals and while more particularly applicable to the class of
mill employed for rolling iron and steel rails and heavy bars may also be utilised
in the construction of mills for rolling other descriptions of iron, steel and other
metals.
"
In two former Inventions for which I obtained Her Majesty's Royal Letters
Patent dated and numbered respectively the fifth day of February 1876 No. 740:
and fifteenth day of February 1880 No. 637, I employed sets of "three high rolls
in conjunction with the ordinary or extended two roll" arrangements to obtain
two or a greater number of reductions with the same heat by lifting the ingot or
bloom from the lower to the upper sets of rolls or vice versa. Under the arrange-
ments comprising the present Invention I propose to obviate the necessity for
lifting or lowering the ingot or bloom from one set of rolls to the other while at
the same time I obtain a number of reductions at one heat as in the case of the
said former Inventions. In a mill constructed in accordance with my present
improvements I prefer to employ a triple "two roll" arrangement. The ingot or
bloom is reduced between the first and second set of "two rolls" and makes it's
exit between the third set of "two rolls" through a blank left therein for it's
passage. The mill is then reversed and the partially rolled bloom is shifted along
into position opposite to the next groove or section turned in the rolls and is

page_text: re-entered at that end of the mill which it has just left. In its return passage it
undergoes two more reductions and again passes out between the outer set of
"two rolls" through a blank similar to that referred to as being in the other outer
set. The mill is again reversed and the bloom having been shifted opposite to the
next groove or section is again reduced issuing through another blank and so on
until the operation has been repeated the required number of times. When using
the rolling mill under the herein before described arrangement the sets of rolls are
so geared together as that the central set of rolls shall have a higher surface speed
than the outer sets; but if it should for any reason be desired to feed the ingot or
bloom through the blank direct to the central "two roll" set; the relation of speeds
would then be reversed and the central rolls be caused to run at a less speed than
the outer rolls so as to obtain the requisite "draw." In some cases I may arrange
to have the rolls vertically adjustable so that the distance between them could be
diminished at will so as to effect a further reduction of the ingot or bloom by
repassing it through the same grooves

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Peter Kirk in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19 August
1882.
PETER KIRK of Workington in the County of Cumberland, Iron Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING MILLS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON,
STEEL, AND OTHER METALS."
My Invention has reference to rolling mills employed in the manufacture of iron,
steel and other metals and while more particularly applicable to the class of mill
employed for rolling iron and steel rails and heavy bars may also be utilised in
the construction of mills for rolling other descriptions of iron, steel and other
metals.
"
The
In two former Inventions for which I obtained Her Majesty's Royal Letters
Patent dated and numbered respectively the fifth day of February 1876, No. 740:
and the fifteenth day of February 1880, No 637, I employed sets of "three high
rolls" in conjunction with the ordinary or extended "two roll" arrangements to
obtain two or a greater number of reductions with the same heat by lifting the
ingot or bloom from the lower to the upper set of rolls or "vice versa." By means
of my present Invention I obviate the necessity for lifting or lowering the ingot or
bloom from one set of rolls to the other while at the same time I obtain a number
of reductions at one heat as in the case of the said former Inventions. In a mill
constructed in accordance with my present improvements I employ a triple "two
roll" arrangement. The ingot or bloom is reduced between the first and second
set of "two rolls" and makes it's exit between the third set of "two rolls" through
a blank or clearing groove which does not reduce the section of the bloom.
mill is then reversed and the partly rolled bloom is shifted along into position
opposite to the next groove or section turned in the rolls and is re-entered at that
side of the mill which it has just left. In it's return passage it undergoes two
more reductions and again passes out between the outer set of "two rolls" through
a blank similar to that referred to as being in the other outer set. The mill is again
reversed and the bloom having been shifted opposite to the next groove or section
is again reduced issuing through another blank and so on until the operation bas
been repeated the required number of times. When using the rolling mill under
the hereinbefore described arrangement the sets of the rolls are so geared together
as that the central set of rolls shall have a higher surface speed than the outer set;
but if it should for any reason be desired to feed the ingot or bloom through the
blank direct to the central "two roll set, the relation of speed would then be
reversed and the central rolls be caused to run at a less speed than the outer rolls
so as to obtain the requisite "draw." In some cases or in any case I arrange to
have the rolls or some of them vertically adjustable so that the distance between
them can be diminished at will so as to effect a further reduction of the ingot or
bloom by repassing it through the same grooves.
»
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto
two sheets of drawings illustrative of the arrangements which I have adopted in
the carrying into effect of my said Invention the drawings on sheet 1 being made
to a scale of about one quarter of an inch to the foot and those on sheet 2 to a
scale of about half an inch to the foot.
Referring in this place to the said drawings Fig: 1 represents a side elevation
of a rolling mill constructed in accordance with my present Invention Fig: 2 being
a ground plan of the housing and rolls and Fig: 3 an end elevation of the housing
for the gearing. Fig: 4 represents a vertical cross section on the line A and

page_text: Fig 5 a vertical cross section on the line B in Fig: 1. In the said Figs c, care
the housings in which are mounted three pairs of rolls d, e and f. The upper roll
of the central pair e is coupled with the shaft e'. in the gearing housings g and
the said shaft is coupled with the crank or transmission shaft of a suitable prime
mover. A spur wheel on the shaft e¹ gears with spur wheels i and j which
are fixed on the shafts d'. and d. which are respectively coupled with the lower
rolls in the pairs d and f. It will be seen that the wheel h is smaller than the
two wheels with which it is in gear and which are equal in diameter the result
being that the rolls d and f revolve at a slower speed than the central rolls e
but as herein before mentioned the gearing might be so proportioned as that the
central rolls would revolve at a slower speed than the outer rolls. The graduation
of the grooves is illustrated in Fig: 5 wherein a bloom or partly formed rail k is
represented as being passed through the rolls. The grooves through which the
bloom is being passed are so graduated as that the grooves in the outer rolls &
and fare of about equal depth the grooves in the central rolls e being of lesser
depth or the grooves are otherwise so proportioned as that the bloom shall always
issue from the mill through blank grooves or grooves which clear the bloom or do
not reduce or alter it's section. The result of this formation is that the bloom
when passed in the indicated direction is reduced by the rolls f and e the rolls d
clearing the bloom and when returned is reduced by the rolls d and e the rolls f
then clearing the bloom. It will be seen that this absence of reducing action on
the part of the third or last set of rolls is rendered necessary by reason of such rolls
revolving at a slower speed than the second or central rolls. In the simple con-
struction as illustrated by Fig: 5 after the rail has been passed through the mill in
one direction the engines are reversed so as to reverse the direction of revolution
of the rolls and the rail is returned through another set of grooves sustaining two
reductions at each passage through the mill. Figs 1, 2 and 4 differ from Fig: 5
in having additional appliances whereby I am enabled to return the rail through
the grooves it has just left so as to obtain four reductions with one set of grooves.
This I effect by lowering two of the upper rolls preparatory to the return of the
bloom. In the example the upper rolls d and e are arranged to be quickly raised
and lowered during the reversal of the mill engine. The plummer blocks m, m in
which the journal necks of the rolls revolve are pressed upwards by means of
rods, which are connected with loaded weigh beans n, n which are mounted in
chambers below the housings as seen in Fig: 1. The loads upon the weigh beams
below each roll are made sufficient to sustain the roll and plummer blocks and to
keep the latter firmly pressed against the lower ends of the screws o, o¹. Upon
the upper ends of the said screws are mounted spur wheels p, p¹, which are in
gear with an intermediate wheel which in Fig: 2 is indicated by dotted lines
below a bevel wheels in the case of each of the two housings. The two bevel
wheels 8, 8 are mounted upon the same vertical studs as the wheels and are
attached to the said wheels so that the bevel wheel. and the spur wheel revolve
together in each case. Each bevel wheel gears with a bevel pinion upon a shaft t
which receives motion from a quick running engine u of the tri-cylinder
"Brotherhood" type or of a suitable construction. When the bloom has been
entered between the rolls f and has passed through the mill the mill engine is
reversed and the engine u is started to lower the upper rolls d and e by turning
the screws in the direction which will force down the rolls. The spur wheels p
and p². aro suitably proportioned to cause the screws to revolve at different speeds
so as to lower each of the two rolls to the required extent. It will be seen that in
the example the wheel pl. is less than the wheel p so that the central roll e will be
lowered to a greater extent that the roll d. The lowering of the rolls is effected
during the time required to reverse the mill engine and when both the reversal
and the lowering are effected the bloom is entered between the rolls d in the same
grooves from which it had been last delivered and is reduced by the rolls d and e
the grooves in the rolls f clearing whereby it will be seen that the bloom is
subjected to four reductions by means of one sot of grooves in the three pairs of

page_text: rolls. The mill engine is then reversed and the engine u is started in the reverse
direction to reverse the direction of rotation of the screws the loaded weigh beams
lifting the rolls back to their former elevations when the bloom is again entered
between the rollsf but in another set of grooves.
It will be obvious that the rolls e and
might be arranged to be lowered in
place of the rolls & and e the effect being the same. It will be understood that
the mill may be constructed either with or without the arrangements for lowering
the rolls and that such arrangements may be varied. By means of my Invention I
am enabled at one heat to roll a very heavy bloom say about fifteen inches square
into a rail long enough to cut up into six or more rails and when used for other
purposes than the rolling of rails a comparatively similar reduction in section and
increase in length may be obtained.
Having now fully set forth the nature of my said Invention and means whereby
and the manner in which the same may be carried into effect I would have it to
be understood that I claim :-
First the rolling mill constructed and used substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and indicated herein before and in and by the accompanying drawings.
Secondly a rolling mill consisting of three pairs of rolls so driven as that the
central pair shall revolve at a greater speed than the outer pair and so formed as
that the bloom shall be subjected to reduction by the first and central pairs the
third pair not reducing in the passage of the bloom through the mill in either
direction.
Thirdly a six roll "two-high" mill effecting two reductions at each passage of
the bloom in one direction and two reductions in the return of the bloom
substantially as set forth.
And lastly a mill having three pairs of rolls and fitted with arrangements for
lowering and raising the upper rolls or two of them in order that after the bloom
has received two reductions when passing through the mill by lowering the rolls
the bloom may be returned through the same grooves and be subjected to two
reductions during such return the rolls being driven at suitable speeds substantially
as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Peter Kirk have hereunto set my hand and
scal this twelfth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty-two. ·