IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF, AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING STEEL AND OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Beesley of Sheffield, in the County
of York, Steel Manufacturer and Roller, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN
THE METHOD OF, AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING STEEL AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Beesley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th July 1882.
WILLIAM THOMAS BEESLEY, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel Manu-
facturer and Roller, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
ROLLING STEEL AND OTHER METALS,"
The object of my said invention is to afford increased facilities in the rolling of
steel and other metals.
In the hot rolling of long thin bands of steel, great difficulty arises from the
rapid cooling of the metal while passing through the rolls, whereby the metal
becomes less ductile than is desirable. The means whereby I overcome this difficulty
and insure the proper amount of heat being imparted to the metal while passing
through the rolls, consist of providing a suitable furnace in a line with the rolls.
The furnace is in two divisions, so arranged that the long bands of steel in process
of rolling may not become entangled, and may pass freely to the rolls.
The two divisions of the furnace allow of one end of the steel band passing into
and through one division at the same time that another portion is passing through
the other division thereof.
By this arrangement the only part of the steel band exposed to the cooling
action of the air is that passing through the rolls and between the rolls and the
furnace.
The furnace is built on an incline of about 1 in 7, to insure the end of the steel
band passing out of the rolls towards or into the furnace falling out of the way of
the following metal.
The furnace is also heated by means of an ordinary fire, such as is used to heat
steam boilers. The fire is at the lowest end of the furnace, traversing the whole
length, and the waste products thereof escaping by an ordinary flue at the highest
end.
.
It is obvious that these means are applicable to other metals besides steel, and
also that the arrangement of the furnace may be modified to suit the position of
the rolls.

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SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Thomas Beesley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th January 1883.
WILLIAM THOMAS BEESLEY of Sheffield in the County of York Steel Manu-
facturer and Roller. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
ROLLING STEEL AND OTHER METALS"
The object of my said invention is to afford increased facilities in the rolling of
steel and other metals.
In the bot rolling of long thin bands of steel, great difficulty arises from the
rapid cooling of the metal while passing through the rolls, whereby the metal
becomes less ductile than is desirable in order to reduce the thickness sufficiently.
The means whereby I overcome this difficulty and insure the proper amount of
heat being imparted to the metal while passing through the rolls, consist of pro-
viding a suitable furnace in a line with the rolls. The furnace is in two divisions,
so arranged that the long bands of steel in process of rolling may not become
entangled and may pass freely to and from the rolls.
The word "furnace" in this Specification is used to denote and comprise not
.only the ordinary fire bars and combustion chamber, but also the long flues into
which the steel or other metal is projected and withdrawn by the action of the
rolls, and in which such metal receives the necessary amount of heat for the purpose
of my invention.
The formation of the furnace into two divisions allows of one end of the steel band
being passed into and through or into and out of one division at the same time
that another portion is passing through or into and out of the other division
thereof.
By this arrangement the only part of the steel band exposed to the cooling action
of the air is that passing through the rolls and between the rolls and the end of
the furnace.
The furnace is built on an incline of about 1 in 7 to insure the end of the steel
band passing out of the rolls towards or into the furnace falling out of the way of
the following metal or band.
The furnace is heated by means of an ordinary fire, such as is used to heat steam
boilers by Gas and Air or otherwise. The fire is at the lowest end of the furnace,
the heated gases therefrom traversing the whole length and returning by the flue
above down to and escaping by an ordinary flue.
Although in my Provisional Specification I have described the waste products
of the furnace as escaping at the upper end thereof, yet I have found it more
advantageous and convenient to allow such waste products to escape at the lower
end of the upper flue or portion of the furnace.
It is obvious that these means are applicable to other metals besides steel and
also that the arrangement of the furnace may be modified to suit the position of
the rolls.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood, reference is hereby
made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate corresponding
parts in the several figures.
Fig 1 is a sectional elevation of the furnace and rolls ab are the rolls which are
kept revolving in the direction of the arrows, The furnace is built, by preference,
at an inclination of 1 in 7 c is the combustion chamber, & the ash pit, e the lower
ascending flue, and f is the upper descending flue leading to the chimney g At h
the fire bricks are laid with openings, spaces or perforations, through which the
heated gases pass from e to f

page_text: The openings at i are built as narrow as convenient for the passage of the steel
bands in order that the draught may not be injuriously affected by the entry of
cold air into the flues through these openings
The distance of the rolls a. b. from the entrance ports i is about 6 feet, and the
length of the furnace is adapted to the length of the steel bands under treatment.
The steel or other metal, as it comes in the ordinary way from the rolling mill, is
not allowed to cool but is at once passed between the rolls a b, as shewn in Fig 2
and caused to enter the chamber f, into and along which it passes until its end
is free of the rolls a bas shewn in Fig 3. This free end is then passed round the
roll a and between a and b as shewn in Fig 4 and it is caused to enter the
chamber e until the other end thereof is free of the rolls a b. The steel may then
be passed out as shewn in Fig. 5 or the process may be repeated, if necessary,
until the desired gauge is attained.
The heat from a blast furnace, or any other available heat may be utilised for
the above described furnace or heating chambers, and the heat may in some cases
be applied to the external parts of the chambers e f.
Fig 6. shows how several bands can be passed into and out of the chambers at
the same time without interfering with each other.
The inclination of the furnace facilitates the motion of the bands into the furnace
chambers, and also prevents or tends to prevent entanglement.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim.
1. The use and construction of elongated furnace chambers, in near contiguity
to rolling mills for the purpose and in the manner substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn on the drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
2. The means and method of treating and rolling steel and other metals, in the
manner substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said William Thomas Beesley have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty sixth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
W THO BEESLEY (L.S.)