IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING ARMOUR PLATES, BRIDGE PLATES, BOAT PLATES AND OTHER PLATES AND BARS OF IRON."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harris, of Pontypool, in the County of Mon-
mouth, Iron Plate Roller, and Joseph Butler, of Pontypool aforesaid,
Iron Manufacturer, and John Henry Fraser, of Llanvrechva, Upper, in
the County of Monmouth aforesaid, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING ARMOUR PLATES, BRIDGE PLATES,
BOAT PLATES AND OTHER PLATES AND BARS OF IRON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harris, Joseph
Butler, and John Henry Fraser at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th March 1863.
We, JOHN HARRIS, of Pontypool, in the County of Monmouth, Iron Plate
Roller, and JOSEPH BUTLER, of Pontypool aforesaid, Iron Manufacturer, and
JOHN HENRY FRASER, of Llanvrechva, Upper, in the County of Monmouth
aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROLLING ARMOUR PLATES, BRIDGE PLATES,
BOAT PLATES, AND OTHER PLATES AND BARS OF IRON," to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist in constructing and arranging rolls in the manner
herein-after explained, whereby lateral pressure is applied to plates and bars
of iron during the rolling process. Plates and bars of iron rolled by our
improved machinery are of uniform, or nearly uniform, density and quality
throughout. We make the upper roll of the pair of rolls somewhat shorter
than the lower roll, so that the lower roll projects at either end beyond the

page_text: ends of the upper roll. A recess is made in each of the standards carrying
the rolls, the said recesses being at about the level of the acting surfaces of
the rolls. In each of the said recesses a rotating circular collar is placed, the
said collars rotating on vertical axes. The lower face of each rotating collar
rests on the cylindrical surface of the lower roll, and the cylindrical surfaces of
the rotating collars bear against the ends of the upper roll. When a plate
of iron is passed through the rolls, the edge of the plate is prevented from
spreading laterally by the rotating collars, and the edges of the plate are
subjected to the same pressure, or nearly the same pressure, as the other parts
of the plate, and great uniformity and excellence of quality is obtained in the
rolled plate. The upper roll can be raised or lowered without interfering with
the rotating collars and lower roll. To roll plates or bars of any required
width, it is only necessary to employ an upper roll having a length equal to
the width of the plates to be rolled, the rotating collars being adjusted so
as to bear against the ends of the upper roll. The lower roll being always
longer than the upper roll, does not require to be changed on changing the
upper roH. The rotating collars are adjusted by means of screws acting on
their bearings in the recesses in the standards.
Our Invention is applicable to the rolling of armour plates, bridge plates,
boat plates, and other plates and bars of iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Harris, Joseph Butler, and John Henry Fraser in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HARRIS, of Pontypool, in the County of Monmouth, Iron Plate Roller, and
JOSEPH BUTLER, of Pontypool aforesaid, Iron Manufacturer, and JOHN HENRY
FRASER, of Llanvrechva, Upper, in the County of Monmouth aforesaid, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Harris, Joseph Butler, and John Henry Fraser, Her special licence
that we, the said John Harris, Joseph Butler, and John Henry Fraser, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Harris, Joseph Butler, and John Henry Fraser, our executors, administrators,

page_text: 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 MACHINERY FOR ROLLING ARMOUR PLATES, BRIDGE PLATES,
BOAT PLATES, AND OTHER PLATES AND BARS OP IRON," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Harris, Joseph Butler, and John Henry
Frase, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
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 we, the said John Harris and John Henry
Fraser, on behalf of ourselves and the said Joseph Butler, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
Our improvements consist in constructing and arranging rolls in the manner
herein-after explained, whereby lateral pressure is applied to plates and bars
of iron during the rolling process, and the plates or bars are fed to and con-
ducted from the rolls in a simple and expeditious manner. Plates and bars of
iron rolled by our improved machinery are of uniform or nearly uniform
density and quality throughout. We make the upper roll of the pair of rolls
somewhat shorter than the lower roll, so that the lower roll projects at either
end beyond the ends of the upper roll. A recess is made in each of the
standards carrying the rolls, the said recesses being at about the level of the
acting surfaces of the rolls. In each of the said recesses a rotating circular.
collar is placed, the said collars rotating on vertical axes. The lower face of
each rotating collar rests on the cylindrical surface of the lower roll, and the
cylindrical surfaces of the rotating collars bear against the ends of the upper
roll. When a plate of iron is passed through the rolls, the edge of the plate
is prevented from spreading laterally by the rotating collars, and the edges of
the plate are subjected to the same pressure, or nearly the same pressure, as
the other parts of the plate, and great uniformity and excellence of quality is
obtained in the rolled plate. The upper roll can be raised or lowered without
interfering with the rotating collars and lower roll. To roll plates or bars of
any required width, it is only necessary to employ an upper roll having a
length equal to the width of the plates to be rolled, the rotating collars being

page_text: adjusted so as to bear against the ends of the upper roll. The lower roll
being always longer than the upper roll, does not require to be changed on
changing the upper roll. The rotating collars are adjusted by means of screws
acting on their bearings in the recesses in the standards. We guide the plate
or bar to and from the rolls by means of rotatory guide rolls provided with
flanges sliding thereon, so as to accommodate plates or bars of different
widths.
Our Invention is applicable to the rolling of armour plates, bridge plates,
boat plates, and other plates and bars of iron.
Having explained the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same is
to be performed.
Figure 1 represents, partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section,
rolling machinery constructed according to our Invention for rolling armour
plates, bridge plates, boat plates, and other plates and bars of iron; Figure 2
represents the same, partly in end elevation and partly in transverse section;
and Figure 3 is a plan of the same with the top roll removed; Figure 4 is a
horizontal section of a portion of the same taken through the dotted line a, b,
of Figure 1. The same letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in the
different Figures of the Drawing.
c, d, are the pair of rolls working in bearings in the standards e, e, the
bearings of the upper roll being acted upon by the screws f, to adjust the
distance between the rolls c, d, in the ordinary manner. The upper roll c is
shorter than the lower one d, the said lower roll projecting on either side
On the
the upper roll, as best seen in the sectional portion of Figure 1.
outer sides of the standards e, e, and near the level of the acting surfaces of
the rolls are projecting boxes e, in which boxes recesses are made, the said
In the said recesses are the
recesses extending through the standards e, e.
rotating collars g, and the gearing of the said rotating collars. The rotating
collars turn upon axes 92, the bearings of the axes being carried by the
frame h, and the frame h and collars g are adjusted in the following manner:-
On either side and in front of the recesses in the boxes and standards e
vertical bars are fixed, the said bars being secured to the standards by the
screw pins and nuts i. In the bars h² set screws k work, the ends of which
set screws bear against the frame h carrying the rotating collars g, and keep
the said rotating collars to their bearing against the ends of the upper roll c.
The lower face of each of the rotating collars 9 rests on the cylindrical surface
of the lower roll d, and the cylindrical surfaces of the said collars bear against
the ends of the upper roll c (see Figure 1). By means of the rotating
g

page_text: circular collars g, g, the edges of the plate or bar being rolled are prevented
from spreading laterally, and the said edges are subjected to the same pressure,
or nearly the same pressure, as the other parts of the plate or bar each time
the said plate or bar is passed through the rolls c, d. Great density and
uniformity and excellence of quality in the rolled plate or bar thereby results,
and a rolled and skinned edge obtained, which is very desirable for rivetting
purposes. When a plate or bar is required to be rolled of a width greater or
less than the width of the upper roll c, it is only necessary to change the said
upper roll c for one having a length equal to the width of the plate or bar to
be rolled. The lower roll d being always longer than the upper roll, does not
require to be changed on changing the upper roll c. On changing the upper
roll c the rotating collars 9 are adjusted against the ends of the newly
introduced upper roll by means of the set screws k, k. The upper roll c can
be raised or lowered in the standards e, e, by means of the screws f without
interfering with the rotating collars 9, 9, and lower roll d. In order to guide
the plate or bar to and from the rolls c, d, we place at each side of the rolls a
guide roll l, l, the said guide rolls being provided with loose or moveable
collars or flanges m, m, capable of sliding on the said rolls. The said collars
or flanges m, m, are so adjusted and fixed on the rolls that the distance
between them is equal to the width of the plate or bar to be rolled. The
said collars or flanges are fixed on the rolls by means of keys or screws
keyed or screwed on the outside of the flanges or collars, and not to interfere
with their working. Rotatory motion is communicated to the guide rolls / by
means of a toothed wheel fastened on the end of the top pinion of the pair of
pinions which give motion to the top roll; the toothed wheel works into
another wheel fastened on the shaft connected to the guide rolls by means of
coupling boxes or crabs. The guide rolls 1, 2, rotate in the direction proper
to carry the plate or bar resting upon them through the rolls, the rate of
motion of the said guide rolls being the same as that of the rolls c, d. On
guiding a plate or bar to the rolls by means of the rotatory guide rolls I, 1,
the end of the plate or bar is presented parallel to the axes of the rolls, and
the said plate or bar on leaving the rolls is preserved straight, and prevented
from curving by bearing against the collars or flanges m, m, of the said
rotatory guide rolls 1, 1. By the use of the said guide rolls 1, 1, the plate or
bar is carried into and from the rolls without the aid of manual labour.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention;

page_text: but we claim as our Invention the improvements in machinery for rolling
armour plates, bridge plates, boat plates, and other plates and bars of iron,
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is
to say, constructing and arranging in rolling machinery rotating side collars
capable of adjustment, by which said collars lateral pressure is applied to the
plates or bars during the rolling process; also guiding the plates or bars to
and from the rolls of the rolling machinery by means of rotating guide rolls
provided with adjustable collars or flanges.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Harris and John Henry Fraser,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of September,
in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN HARRIS.
(L.S.)
Witness,
EDWARD CROOM,
Pontypool.
JOHN H. FRASER. (L.S.)