IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON PIPES OR TUBES
Year: 1850

page_text: COCHRANE AND SLATE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEX-
ANDER BRODIE COCHRANE, junior, and ARCHIBALD SLATE, both of Dudley, in
the County of Worcester, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the thirteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Alexander Brodie Cochrane and Archibald Slate, our exors, adiñors, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
we, the said Alexander Brodie Cochrane and Archibald Slate, our exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alexander Brodie
Cochrane and Archibald Slate, our exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON PIPES
OR TUBES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that if we, the
Baid Alexander Brodie Cochrane and Archibald Slate, or one of us,shall cause a
particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
[Price 8d1]

page_text: of the moulding box which may be employed. Figure 1, shows there to be
three sections. The guiding bar H descends into the cylinder I,and it is kept
correctly in position bythe guide J,and the position K, which passes up and
down within the guiding cylinder I. We would remark, that although we
prefer to use a cylinder I to guide the lower part of the bar H, we do not
confine ourselves thereto, as it will be evident that that arrangement may be
varied so long as the bar H is suitably guided and kept true to its position.
We will now describe the second part of our Invention. Figure 5 shews
a vertical section of the apparatus and machinery arranged according to this
part of our Invention. Figure 6 shews a plan in section, taken at E, F, in
and
Figure 5. Figure 7 shows a plan in section, taken at C, D, in Figure 5;
Figure 8 shews a plan in section, taken at A, B, in Figure 5. The mould
box G is fixed in a suitable pit, as shewn. H is the internal pattern, fixed to
the bar I, which is gradually raised by suitable tackle fixed to the shackle J.
The bar I is guided and kept correct by the clips K, at the end of the
cross head L, as shewn. The ramming tube receives a quick up-and-down
motion by means of excentrics N, N, and connecting rods, such excentrics
receiving motion by means of a strap from a steam engine or other power
acting on the fixed drum O on the axis P, such axis by the bevelled toothed
wheel Q giving motion to the bevelled toothed wheel Q' ou the shaft Q³, on
which slides the bevilled toothed wheel Q3, which takes into and drives the
bevilled toothed wheel Q4 on the axis of the excentrics N, and a slow rotatory
motion is giving to the ramming tube by means of the driver R, put in
motion by the excentric R¹ acting on the ratchet wheel S on the tubular
collar T, which has a feather on the exterior, which passing into the tube
which carries the rammers, cause the tube with the rammers to rotate slowly.
We will now describe the third part of our Invention. Figure 9 shows
a vertical section of the apparatus used for drying moulds. Figure 10
is a plan in section, taken at A, B, in Figure 9; and Figure 11 shows a
section taken at C, D, in Figure 9. Figure 12 shows a section of another
similar apparatus to that shown at Figure 9. This apparatus differs from the
preceding only inasmuch as it is arranged to dry with the socket end
downwards in place of upwards. In each of these Figures the same letters
are used to indicate similar parts. E is an external cylinder of sheet metal,
having the interior cylinder F fixed within it, at the lower part of which is
fixed the perforated cylinder, in the one case perforated cone, in the other case
as is shewn by the Drawing. G is a fireplace, constructed of fire brick, as
shewn,the same being supplied with small coke at G'; and H, H, are outlets
where the products escape. A mould in the mould box is placed in position,

page_text: as shewn, and the drying apparatus is lowered over the same; the blast pipe
is then inserted, and the products produced pass in the direction of the arrows,
and the mould will become quickly dry, and in like manner may similar
apparatus be constructed to dry two or more moulds at the same time.
We will now describe the fourth part of our Invention, which consists of
employing mechanical means for withdrawing the air and vapours from retorts
or ovens employed in drying cores used for making cast-iron pipes. For this
purpose we prefer to employ pumps, but other mechanical apparatus may be
employed, to withdraw the air and products from the ovens or retorts employed
for drying such cores; by this means the process of drying will be greatly
facilitated and improved.
We will now describe the fifth part of our Invention, which consists of
causing pipes or tubes of iron to be cast with castings of glass. For this
purpose we cause the external surfaces of the cores employed to be coated
with materials which will be caused to run into glass by the heat of the melted
metal when run into the moulds containing such cores, and by which the
internal surfaces of the pipes or tubes will have coatings of glass therein; and
when it is desired that the external surfaces of cast-iron pipes or tubes should
have coatings of glass thereon, then the interiors of the moulds are to be
coated with materials which will run into glass when the melted metal is run
into the moulds. The compound for forming glass which we prefer to use is
as follows:-One hundred and thirty parts of flint glass, twenty parts of car-
bonate of soda, and twelve parts of boracic acid, which are ground, and mixed
and melted in a glass-maker's crucible; when the same has been cooled it is
ground to powder, which is passed through a sieve with sixty meshes to the
inch, but we do not confine ourselves to such mixture, this part of our
Invention consisting of the means of manufacturing cast-iron pipes or tubes
coated with glass,byobtaining such coatings of glass bythe act of casting the
pipes. The glass composition in the state of powder may be applied in the
dry or wet state; if in the dry state, then the cores or moulds, or both, may
have gum water or other adhesive matter applied, and the powder be sifted
thereon, so as to obtain a uniform coating; or the powder may be mixed into
a pasty state and spread on the surfaces, and such surfaces being dried will be
ready for use, and the act of casting pipes or tubes therein will cause the pipes
or tubes thus cast to be produced with coatings of glass.
We will now describe the sixth part of our Invention. Figure 13 is a side
elevation of the machine; Figure 14 shows a front view; Figure 15 shows
the two finishing rollers separately; and Figure 16 shows a plan of the dies in
which the skelp is progressively bent up into the form of a tube. A is the main

page_text: or driving axis, on which are fixed two excentrics B, B, which give notion to
the connecting rod C, C, which give a rising and falling motion to the table
D), on which the die E is fixed. This die is hollow, as is shewn by dotted
lines in the front view,and the skelp as it is progressively fed into the die will
by means of the fixed die F and the lower die E be progressively bent into
form. The space between the two dies is such as to receive between them
the thickness of metal of the skelp. The operation of the machine is such
that the flat skelp is progressively fed into and between the dies; the lower one
being lifted, causes such portion to be bent into a form corresponding with the
space at that part between the two dies, and as the skelp is more and more
fed in it will be more and more pressed into the shape of a tube, and that
shape will be obtained when the skelp has been passed between the rollers at
the further end of the machine to that at which it enters. The skelp is made
to move through the machine in the following manner :-G,G,are two rollers,
between which the end of a skelp is introduced, and it will be moved forward
at intervals by motion communicated to the rollers by the driver H taking
into the teeth of the ratchet wheel I on the axis of one of the rollers, the two
rollers being geared together by cog wheels, as shewn. The driver H is
carried by the lever J, which moves freely on the axis of one of the rollers G,
and motion is communicated to the lever J from one of the excentrics on the
main shaft by the link K, lever L, and connecting rod M, as shewn. The
motion is communicated to the rollers N, N, by means of the lever J being
connected to the lever O by the connecting rod P, so that the ratchet wheel
Qwill be driven simultaneously with the roller G, and cause those rollers to
press the turned skelp into the form of a tube.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would have it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise details as herein described so long as
the peculiar character of any part be retained; but what we claim is,—
First, the improvements herein described for facilitating the guiding the
internal patterns used in casting iron pipes.
Secondly, we claim the mode of arranging apparatus herein described for
ramming moulds used in the manufacture of cast-iron pipes.
Thirdly, we claim the mode of arranging apparatus herein described for
drying moulds used in the manufacture of cast-iron pipes.
Fourthly, we claim the withdrawing of the air and products from retorts or
ovens wherein cores are being dried by fans or other mechanical means.
Fifthly, we claim the casting of iron pipes or tubes with coatings of glass
thereon.