CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTION OF METALLIC PIPES, TUBES, OR OTHER SIMILAR HOLLOW CASTINGS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Deslandes, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Professor of French, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTION OF
METALLIC PIPES, TUBES, OR OTHER SIMILAR HOLLOW CASTINGS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Alfred Bertsch, of Marquise, in the Empire
of France. Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 24th April 1866, and dated the 31st October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Deslandes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
October 1865.
I, ARTHUR DESLANDES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Professor of French, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND
PRODUCTION OF METALLIC PIPES, TUBES, OR OTHER SIMILAR HOLLOW CASTINGS,"
being a communication to me from abroad by Alfred Bertsch, of Marquise, in
the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture and drying of
moulds and cores to be employed in the manufacture of metallic pipes or
tubes.

page_text: The apparatus and method of manufacture are as follows:-At the top of
a vertical hole or "well" three moveable cranes are arranged; and at the
bottom of the "well" a curved railway is adapted, on which waggons move
in conjunction with the cranes. Upon these waggons the moulding boxes
containing moulds for a number of pipes are placed, and the moulds and
cores are transmitted by a series of cranks from beneath the action of the
moulding "ram" by which they are formed, over a current of heated air
supplied by tubes beneath the finishing waggon. The moulds are brought
by the first crane under the "ram" or consolidator of the moulding sand,
which has a vertical reciprocating motion, and which rams and hardens the
sand in the moulds; and the core may either be formed in the mould
simultaneously or placed therein afterwards. When thus formed the second
crane removes the waggon and moulds over the current of heated air, where
they become dried, and another waggon is placed beneath the action of the
ram; after they are dry the third crane passes them on to a line of rails to be
removed to the casting room, by which means of process the formation of
moulds and cores is rendered very rapid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Deslandes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
DESLANDES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Professor of French,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Arthur Deslandes, Her special license that I, the said Arthur
Deslandes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur Deslandes, my 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 AND PRODUCTION OF METALLIC PIPES, TUBES, OR
OTHER SIMILAR HOLLOW CASTINGS," a communication to me from abroad by
Alfred Bertsch, of Marquise, in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer,

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Deslandes
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 I, the said Arthur Deslandes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
The Invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture and drying of
moulds and cores to be employed in the manufacture of metallic pipes or
tubes.
"
The apparatus and method of manufacture is as follows:-At the top
of a vertical hole or "well" three moveable cranes are arranged; and at the
bottom of the "well" a curved railway is adapted, on which waggons move in
conjunction with the cranes. Upon these waggons the moulding boxes con-
taining moulds for a number of pipes are placed, and the moulds and cores
are transmitted by the series of cranes from beneath the action of the
moulding "ram" by which they are formed, over a current of heated air
supplied by tubes beneath the finishing waggon. The moulds are brought by
the first crane under the " ram or consolidator of the moulding sand, which
has a vertical reciprocating motion, and which rams and hardens the sand in
the moulds; and the core may either be formed in the mould simultaneously
or placed therein afterwards. When thus formed the second crane removes
the waggon and moulds over the current of heated air, where they become
dried, and another waggon is placed beneath the action of the ram; after they
are dry the third crane passes them into a line of rails to be removed to the
casting room, by which means and process the formation of moulds and cores
is rendered very rapid.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, having similar letters of
reference marked upon corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 represents a transverse sectional elevation of the structure or
building in which the moulding of metallic pipes or tubes is conducted, this
view illustrates more particularly the arrangement and construction of the pit
or well of such building, in which the moulding boxes are caused to traverse
from place to place in order to receive and undergo the several operations

page_text: necessary to complete the casting; this view also shews the position of the
cranes employed to move the moulding boxes from place to place, and
the apparatus by which hot air is conducted into the mould for drying the
same.
Fig. 2 represents a general plan view of the moulding pit, and also its
connection with and the pit in which the "cores" are made.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a moulding box and
apparatus for ramming the sand and forming the outer mould in which to
cast the metallic pipe or tube. This view illustrates more particularly the
peculiar formation and construction of mechanism employed for giving the
necessary intermittent revolving motion to the rammer, and also the arrange-
ment of wedges by which the force or stamping pressure is to be governed and
regulated, so that more or less consolidation can be imparted by such ram to
the mould; and Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same.
In Sheet 1, Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is the outer structure or building in which
the improved method of moulding and casting pipes or tubes is effected; the
arrangement in such building together with the apparatus it contains render
the operations systematic, continuous, and expeditious. Within the interior
of the building the pit or well b, b, is formed, the foundation or floor of which
is provided with the longitudinal and circular rails or tramways c, c, and d;
these railways terminate at either end of the pit in the form of an arc of
a circle, a communication with the outside of the building being effected by
means of the bridge e and well f. The trucks or carriages 9, 9, supporting
the moulding boxes h, h, are moved on the tramways so as to place the boxes
in the positions required during the operations of forming the mould, drying the s
same, inserting the "core," and finally pouring in the molten metal and
casting the pipes or tubes. The necessary movement and carriage of the
boxes h, h, during these operations is accomplished by th cranes i, ¹, and k;
the two cranes i and it being supported by their pillars 1, , bearing on the
bridges e, e, are caused to move in the arc of a circle corresponding with the s
two ends or terminations of the pit b, b; the pillar of the crane k being
centrally situated is capable of moving in an entire circle directly over the
circular rails d of the pit b. The two halves of the cylindrical moulding
boxes h, when empty and secured together by bolt fasteners, are placed under
the action of the rammer, where it receives its interior coating and forms a
sand mould (as herein-after more particularly described in connection with
Sheet 2), and each box on the completion of its mould is moved a little on
the circular railway so as to allow another empty box to take its place under
the rammer. Upon the first box being removed as described the internal

page_text: surface of the mould it contains receives a dusting or coating of plumbago or
black lead, after which it is transferred on to one of the parallel tramways c, c,
immediately over the pipe or tube m, in connection with the hot air tubes n,
and in this position the hot air from the openings in the tube n thereby passes
up through the sand mould, which is thoroughly dried; the mould is now
ready to receive the "core," which has been manufactured and dried in like
manner in the core pit o. The cores when dried are transferred from the
parallel tramways p of such pit by means of the truck or carriage 9 on the
transverse railway r into the moulding pit b, b, where they are severally lifted
by the cranesi, , and placed within the sand moulds in the boxes, which are
placed ready to receive them, and as each mould is thus rendered complete it
is removed to one side of the pit ready, where it receives the molten metal from
the ladles suspended by the crane i. Whilst thes process of casting is going
on on one side of the pit another series of boxes are receiving their moulds
and cores, and are placed in a relative position at the opposite side of the pit
ready to undergo the operation of casting, which is effected alternately by
this means; the formation of the moulds and cores and the manufacture of
metal pipes is effected alternately and continuously. The moulding boxes,
when the metal castings are withdrawn, are placed one by one over the
trucks on the tramway t, in order that they may be cleared of the burnt sand
which falls from the box into the truck s, and is conveyed under the bridge e
to the outside of the building, where it becomes raised by the hoist u, and
transferred so as to be mixed and amalgamated with green sand, in order
that it may again be used for the formation of moulds and cores.
In Sheet 2, Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, are the pillars supporting the apparatus for
running the sand into the moulds b, and for consolidating it therein and forming
the mould; this box during the time it is receiving the mould is firmly
retained on that part of the circular railway embraced by the four pillars a, a,
by means of the blocks and wedges a¹, a¹. The operation of forming the mould
may be thus described :-The sand as it is gradually filled in at the top of the
box falls on to the inclined surfaces of the cylindrical hollow ranimer c, from
whence it falls on to the annular space formed between the outside surface of
the maundril d and the inner surface of the moulding box b, the diameter of
the maundril d corresponding with the diameter of the pipe to be cast, and
being attached to the counterbalance weight it is. caused to rise gradually
during the ramming and formation of the mould by means of the buffer p',
secured to the hollow connecting rod of the rammer, being caused with such
upward stroke to come into contact with the collar o', secured to the shaft of
the maundril d, so that its outer surface forms a constant support against which

page_text: e
the sand is compressed by the action of the rammer c; this rammer is so
constructed as to form a cap or cylindrical cover to the maundril d, which in
its action is allowed freely to move in the annular space formed by the
maundril and inside surface of the moulding box; the up-and-down ramming
action of this cylindrical cap or cover is obtained in the first instance from the
crank é and connecting rods f, but in order that the sand shall be equally
compressed and properly rammed in the space formed between the mandril
and the interior surface of the moulding box the positive motion of the crank e
requires regulating and adjusting as the sand accumulates, which is effected
by the arrangement of mechanism contained in the box g, which forms the
coupling or connection between the two in the manner and for the purpose
herein-after described. The hollow tube h, to which the rammer c is connected,
encircles or embraces the rod i of the maundril, the said rod forming the con-
nection between the maundril and its counterbalance weight k; the hollow
connecting tube h is embraced and coupled to the connecting rods of the
crank by the wedges m, contained in the coupling box g. These are arranged
so as to grip and exert pressure on the hollow tube h, the amount thereof
being regulated and adjusted by the bolts or screws n, which are moved by
the gearing o simultaneously, and as they are inserted or withdrawn by the
wheels and screws any required amount of pressure may be placed on the tube.
The coupling box 9 bas positive rise and fall given to it by the crank e, but
it is also caused during its descent or fall to turn slightly; this is effected by
means of the bowl p fixed to the framing being caused to enter the inclined
slot or groove formed in the projecting finger q secured to the under side of
the coupling box g, the action of which, when the said box is rising, causes the
catch r to slip over a tooth of the ratchet wheel contained in such box; but
when descending the inclined formation of the groove in the finger q causes
the catch to force the ratchet wheel, which being connected with the wedges
transmits an intermittent revolving motion to the rammer c at each descent;
or by placing the pawl on the opposite side of the ratchet wheel the twist or
partial revolving action of the rammer will take place during the time the
rammer is rising or preparing for a renewed pressure upon the sand. The
peculiar action of the rammer c when forming the mould, through its connec-
tion with the coupling box g, will readily be understood on reference to the
Drawings and description. The sand as it is fed into the box falls into the
annular space before described, where it becomes compressed and moulded;
the rammer when lifting is caused by the pressure of the wedges m to rise to
the full extent of the throw of the crank in a direct line, but when descending,
the sand that has been allowed to fall and accumulate in the annular space

page_text: during such rise, resists the downward pressure, which causes the rammer to
yield, the maximum amount of pressure exerted by the rammer upon the sand
at the time of yielding being governed and regulated by the pressure of the
wedges against the sides of the connecting tube h. It is also caused, when
compressing the sand, to turn slightly by the action of the fixed bowl upon the
inclined groove in the projecting finger, and the repeated action of the rammer
as the sand accumulates forms the moulds for the pipe or tube to be cast in
the moulding box. The maundril d, as the rammer is caused to rise in the box
by the resistance of the sand, gradually follows the same by reason of the
counterbalance weight and the concussion with each rise against the collar o'
on the connecting rod of the maundril. The rammer and the maundril retains
the same position relative to each other throughout the entire formation of
the mould.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Deslandes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witnessed by
JOHN L. DAVIES,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
ARTHUR DESLANDES. (L.S.)