IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST- OP-IRON PIPES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Law, Ironfounder, and John Wharrie,
Foreman, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST-
Sealed the 24th July 1868, and dated the 29th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Law and John
Wharrie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 29th January 1868.
We, DAVID LAW, Ironfounder, and JOHN WHARRIE, Foreman, both
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OP CAST-IRON PIPES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to
be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of cast-iron pipes and
similar articles, and it comprises arrangements admitting of dry sand
being used as the coating material for the cores instead of the com-
paratively expensive loam and haybands generally employed. It also
comprises the forming of the cores and external moulds simultaneously.

page_text: The Invention consists, in the first place, in using a short length of
core box or matrix, within which the sand is rammed upon the surface
of a collapsible or other core bar by means of a ring of rammers, the
short matrix and the rammers rising as the formation of the coating
progresses along the surface of the core bar, which is in a vertical
position.
The Invention consists, secondly, in using a short moving pattern,
the outside of which shapes the external mould, whilst the inside shapes
the core in combination with two sets of rammers, one outside and
the other inside thereof. The rammers are made to reciprocate
vertically and to turn intermittently by apparatus suitably modified
from what is already in use for ramming up the mould boxes by which
the outsides of the pipes or similar articles are shaped.
In one modification of such apparatus for coating the cores a
crosshead, the middle of which is in the form of a ring, is arranged
to slide in vertical guides, and to be actuated by two revolving cranks.
Vertical side rods are fixed to the crosshead and the motion is com-
municated to these rods through frictional clutches, the. grip of which
is regulated according to the hardness with which it is desired that the
sand shall be rammed, so that as each successive increment of the
coating attains that hardness the side rods are made by the resistance
to slip a little through the clutches. It is in this way that the rammers
gradually rise, and in doing so they cause a corresponding upward
movement of the short matrix, which is held by a crosshead suspended
by chains passing over pulleys -to counterweights. The rammer cross-
head, which is also more or less counterbalanced by means of weighted
chains passing over pulleys overhead is arranged for receiving various
sets of rammers for pipes of different diameters, the middle of the
crosshead being in the form of a ring, within which the rings or collars
of the various sets of rammers are made to fit. The ring to which the
rammers are fixed encircles and is passed down over the core bar, so
that the rammers can be made quite short and stiff. The necessary
change of position of the rammers relatively to the core may be obtained
by applying a ratchet and pawl-lever motion to turn the ring to which
the rammers are fixed; or by applying a similar motion to the core bar
on its carriage. The short matrix' is made in two halves, and when the
ramming is completed these are slightly separated so as to be easily
removed longitudinally or otherwise. Faucets may be formed on the

page_text: cores either at the top or bottom, separate matrices or short length core
boxes being used for them of the required enlarged diameter and shape;
and when the faucet part is being rammed the frictional clutches are
adjusted as for obtaining increased hardness in order to insure the
requisite hardness in the greater thickness of coating. The matrix
may be made either plain or with jacket spaces to be supplied with super-
heated steam by flexible or jointed tubing for the purpose of drying
the core, and of giving a smooth surface to it in the process of ramming.
The relative movement between the core bar or mould box, or both,
and the matrix or pattern and rammers may of course be obtained by
imparting the progressive motion to the former instead of to the latter,
as herein-before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Law and John Wharrie in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
LAW, Ironfounder, and JOHN WHARRIE, Foreman, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said David Law and John Wharrie, Her
special licence, that we, the said David Law and John Wharrie, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others, as we, the said
David Law and John Wharrie, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST-
IRON PIPES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREPOR," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said David Law and John
Wharrie, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said David Law and John Wharrie,
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 in writing, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to the manufacture of cast-iron pipes and
similar articles, and comprises arrangements admitting of dry sand being
used as the coating material for the cores instead of the comparatively
expensive loam and haybands generally employed. We also originally
contemplated including in our said Invention a modification of our
improved apparatus as arranged for forming the cores and external
moulds simultaneously, but not having as yet perfected such modification
we do not propose to claim it as part of our present Invention.
Our said Invention consists in using a short length of core box
or matrix, within which the sand is rammed upon the surface of a
collapsible or other core bar by means of a ring of rammers, the short
matrix and the rammers rising as the formation of the coating progresses
along the surface of the core bar, which is in a vertical position.
And in order that our said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended a
Sheet of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and repre-
senting a modification of our improved core ramming apparatus.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, and Figure 2 is a side
elevation.
The rammers 1 are made to reciprocate vertically and to turn
intermittently by apparatus suitably modified from what is already
in use for ramming up the mould boxes by which the outsides of the
pipes or similar articles are shaped.
In the modification represented in the Drawings, a crosshead 2, the
middle of which is in the form of a ring encircling the core bar 3,
lias fixed to it blocks 4 arranged to slide in vertical guide grooves or
slots 5 formed in cast-iron standards 6. Vertical side rods 7, which are

page_text: tubular, are fixed to the crosshead blocks 4, and pass up to the actuating
apparatus above. The core bar 3 is supported on a carriage 28, and is
placed centrally between the standards 6. Its upper end is accurately
centred and steadied by means of a spindle 36 screwed through a cross-
head 37, which can be shifted for pipes of different lengths. The
actuating apparatus comprises a first-motion shaft 8, having on it a
fly wheel and a pulley 9 to receive a driving belt and carried in bearings
in pedestals 10 bolted down upon a cast-iron framing 11, which is itself
fixed on the top of the guide standards 6. The shaft 8, by means of
overhung crank pins at each end, and of connecting rods 12, imparts a
reciprocating motion to two slides 13, arranged to work vertically in
guides formed or fixed on the frame castings 11. The slides 13 have
bolted to them frictional clutches 14, which encircle and take hold of
the tubular side rods 7, and impart the vertical reciprocating motion to
them. Each clutch 14 grips its tubular rod 7 by means of longitudinal
wedges which have their smaller ends downwards, and which bear on
the surface of the rod, whilst they fit in tapered sockets in the clutch
box. The wedges are connected by rings above and below, and the
upper ring is jointed to a forked or bowed lever 15, the inner end of
which is jointed to the slide 13. The outer ends of the two levers 15
are connected by links 16, the lengths of which can be adjusted by
screw couplings to levers on a rocking shaft 17, which has a hand
lever 18 at its middle. By means of this hand lever 18 the wedges
can be lifted, and so relieved when it is necessary to lower or adjust the
rods 7; and by adjusting the links 16 separately the grips of the two
clutches may be equalised. Another small rocking shaft 19 with T
levers on it is provided for holding up the relieving levers 15 when
required. The grip of the clutches 14 is regulated according to the
hardness with which it is desired that the sand shall be rammed, so
that as each successive increment of the coating attains that hardness
the side rods 7 are made by the resistance to slip a little through the
clutches 14. It is in this way that the side rods 7 with the crosshead 2
and rammers 1 gradually rise, and in doing so they cause a cor-
responding upward movement of the short matrix 20, which is held
by a crosshead 21, having blocks 22, which work in the guides 5. The
matrix crosshead 21 is suspended by means of rods 23 fixed to the
blocks 22, which rods pass up through the tubular side rods 7 of the
rammer crosshead 2, and have attached to their upper ends chains 24,
which pass over pulleys (not shown in the Drawing) to counterweights.

page_text: The rods 23 have-collars or heads 25 fixed on their upper ends, and are
raised by these heads being struck by buffers 26, borne up by the tubular
side rods 7 of the rammer crosshead 2, when these rods 7 slip through
the clutches 14. The rammer crosshead 2, which may be more or less
counterbalanced, if required, by means of chains passing over pulleys
overhead to weights is arranged for receiving various sets of rammers for
pipes of different diameters, the middle of the crosshead being in the
form of a ring, within which the rings or collars 27 of the various sets
of rammers 1 are made to fit. The ring 27 to which the rammers 1
are fixed encircles and is passed down over the core bar 3, so that the
rammers can be made quite short and stiff. The necessary change of
position of the rammers 1 relatively to the core is obtained by applying
a ratchet and pawl lever motion to turn the ring 27, to which the
rammers 1 are fixed, or it may be obtained by applying a similar motion
to the core bar 3 on its carriage-28.
In the modification shown in the Drawings, a toothed ring fixed on
the rammer ring 27, and which serves to keep that ring in its socket
in the crosshead, has in gear with it a pinion 29 on the lower end of
a vertical shaft 30, which moves up and down with the crosshead 2.
This shaft 30 passes up through the eye of a ratchet wheel 31, carried
by an adjustable bracket 32 above, being geared thereto by means of
a groove and key. The ratchet wheel 31 is actuated by a lever and
pawl 33, which is worked by an eccentric 34 on the first-motion shaft 8.
The short matrix 20 is made in two halves connected by bolts, and
when the ramming is completed the halves are slightly separated so
as to be easily removed longitudinally or otherwise. A hopper 35 (in
two halves) is set on the top of the matrix 20, and into this the loose
sand is thrown by a workman, who is on a stage which rises with the
matrix crosshead 21, but which is not shown in the Drawing. The
matrix 20 may be made either plain, or as represented with jacket
spaces, to be supplied with superheated steam by flexible or jointed
tubing for the purpose of drying the core and of giving a smooth surface
to it; during the process of ramming faucets may be formed on the
cores either at the top or bottom, separate matrices or short length core
boxes being used for them of the required enlarged diameter and shape;
and when the faucet part is being rammed the frictional clutches 14
are adjusted as for obtaining increased hardness in order to insure the
requisite hardness in the greater thickness of coating. The relative
movement between the core bar 3 and the matrix 20 and rammers 1,

page_text: may of course be obtained by imparting the progressive motion to the
former instead of to the latter, as herein-before described.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated,
but that what we believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Inven-
tion secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is, the coating of core bars used in the manufacture of cast-iron pipes
and similar articles by ramming apparatus which rams the sand between
the core bar and a progressively moving matrix, and which is constructed
or arranged substantially as herein-before described; and the applying
of steam to the matrix, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wharrie, on behalf of the
said David Law and myself, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN WHARRIE. (L.S.)