Improvements in Puddling Apparatus
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Alfred Clough and Charles Ridealgh,
both of Stockton-on-Tees, in thic County of Durham, Engineers,
for the Invention of “ Improvements in Puddling Apparatus.”
for the Invention of “ IMPROVEMENTS IN Puddling AppaRATUS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Alfred Clough
and Charles Ridcalgh at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th April 1875.
We, GEORGE ALFRED CLOUGH and CHARLES RIDEALGH, both of
Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUDDLING
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
By one arrangement according to this Invention the apparatus is
mounted over the furnace on a suitable frame supported on independent
uprights, or is attached to the upper parts of 'plates forming the sides of
the furnace, and it consists substantially of a column firmly fixed on a
strong bed plate securely attached to the frame; the bed plate also

page_text: carries the engine or motor and the necessary driving gear
The upper
part of this column is turned to receive a socket with flanges, to which
are fixed two plates, one on cach side, such plates form a jib to project
at their outer ends over cach of the rabble holes of the furnace Pivots
or centres are provided from which the suspension rods carrying the
rabble bar vibrate. About midway of the vertical height of the column
there is an opening to receive a crank, to which is given a horizontal
rotary motion. The shaft of this crank passes down inside the column,
and at its lower end it carries a bevel or mitre wheel, which gears into
another bevel or mitic wheel carried by a horizontal shaft working in
bearings on the bed plate. On this. shaft is affixed a spur wheel, into
which gears a pinion on the first motion or engine shaft.
The socket with the jib plates is capable of a partial rotary motion on
its-axis-adapted to cause the rabble bar to be directed over the different
parts of the furnace for the purpose of stirring or agitating the molten
metal undergoing the process of puddling. This motion is obtained by
fixing on the horizontal crank or its shaft an eccentric, which revolves
with said shaft and crank, and by means of a strap and rod cngages
into the tecth of a horizontal ratchet wheel fixed on a vertical shaft
carried in a bracket fixed to one side of the column. At the higher end
of the ratchet wheel shaft is affixed a crank with a small throw, and on
the pin of this crank there is a rod, the other end of which is connected
to the jib. The rotation of this crank and its distance from the centre
of rotation to the pin determines the number of degrees through which
the jib moves before changing its motion.
The engine we employ for driving this machine is of the type having
no dead centre, and which is not controlled by a fly whecl, so that
should any impediment or irregularity occur in the furnace to the stirring
tool or rabble, the engine and machine will come to a state of rest till
such impediment is removed or avoided; for as the engine and its
work are so nearly equal, and as there is no momentum (as in the case
of an engine having a fly wheel) the work and power are nearly
balanced.
The socket carrying the jib plates may, instead of being above the
crank be below it, and the crank may be arranged to work at the top of
the column; this would of course cause the suspension rod to become a
lever of what is technically called of the first ordor.

page_text: We also drive puddling machines direct, without the intervention of
any rotary motion by means of a steam cylinder, the piston rod of which
passes out at each end of the cylinder, and by means of connecting rods
imparts a to-and-fro motion to the suspension rods, and thus to the
rabbles or starring tools. The cylinder is mounted on the same socket
as that which carries the jib plates, and thus it has the same partially
rotative motion imparted to it. Steam is admitted to the cylinder for
actuating the piston through an opening (the inlet pipo being packed
with a gland) on the top of the cylinder in the same axis as the column,
round which the socket partially revolves, and its admission to cach end
of the cylinder is controlled by a valve working inside the piston, such
valve receiving its motion from a ram which passes out of each end of
the piston, and at the extremity of its stroke coming into contact with
the cylinder covers.
In order to counteract any tendency to what may be called running
away or racing of the piston, the regularity of its motion is controlled by
a piston working in a cylinder containing oil or other liquid, and it is
impelled from one side of the cylinder to the other through an orifice,
the area of which can be regulated by a valve.
Another part of the improvements consists in forming the suspension
rods for carrying the rabble bar telescopic, that is, the lower portion is
made to slide inside the upper part, and is thus out of the workman's
way when he wants to ball the iron and take it out of the furnace, by
which arrangement we are able to make them lighter and,stronger.
The details may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Alfred Clough and Charles Ridealgh
in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 11th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GEORGE
0 ALFRED CLOUGH and CHARLES RIDEALGH, both of Stockton-on-Tees,
in the County of Durham, Engineers, send greeting.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George Alfred Clough and Charles
Ridealgh, er special license, that we, the said George Alfred
Clough and Charles Ridcalgh, our exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George Alfred Clough and
Charles Ridealgh, 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 PUDDLING APPARATUS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said George Alfred Olough and
Charles Ridcalgh, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, -or-under-the-hand and.
scal 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Alfred Clough, on
behalf of myself and the said Charles Ridealgh, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same. is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertamed in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say --
This Invention relates to applying the supporting apparatus to turn
upon a column mounted over the furnace and to be moved into the
desired position for effecting the desired stirring and agitation of the
molten metal
The engine employed is of the type working without fly wheel and
having no dead centre.
The puddling machinery may also be driven direct without the inter-
vention of any rotary motion.

page_text: Figure 1 shows an end view, Figure 2 a front view, and Figures 3
and 4 details of apparatus arranged to offect our Invention.
By one arrangement according to this Invention the apparatus is
mounted over the furnace a on a suitable frame b supported on inde-
pendent uprights ₁, or is attached to the upper parts of plates forming
the sides of the furnace, and it consists substantially of a column c firmly
fixed on a strong bed plate b² securely attached to the frame b, the bed
plato also carries the engine or motor z and the necessary driving
gear. The upper part of this column c is turned to receive a sockot d
with flanges d' upon it, to which are fixed two plates e, e, one on each
side, such plates form a jib to project at their outer ends over each of
the rabblo holes a' of the furnace. Pivots or centres e¹ are provided, from
which the suspension rods of carrying the rabble bars g vibrate. About
midway of the vertical height of the column c there is an opening to
receive a crank h, to which is given a horizontal rotary motion. The
shaft of this crank passes down inside the column c, and at its lower end
it carries a bevel or mitre wheel h³, which gears into another bevel or
mitre wheel 2 carried by a horizontal shaft h³ working in bearings h* on
the bed plate 63. On this shaft h³ is affixed a spur wheel h³, into which
gears a pinion ° on the first motion or engine shaft.
The socket & with the jib plates e is capable of a partial rotary motion
on its axis adapted to cause the rabble bars to be directed over the
different parts of the furnace for the purpose of starring or agitating the
molten metal undergoing the process of puddling. This motion is
obtained by fixing on the horizontal crank h, or its shaft, an eccentric i,
which revolves with said shaft and crank, and by means of a strap and
rod engages into the teeth of a horizontal ratchet wheel 2' fixed on a
vertical shaft 2ª carried in a bracket fixed to one side of the column c.
At the upper end of the ratchet wheel shaft 2* is affixed a crank 2³ with
a small throw, and on the pin of this crank ³ there is a rod ', the other
end of which is connected to the socket d of the jib. The rotation of
this crank and its distance from the centre of rotation to the pin con-

page_text: necting it with the rod
determines the number of degrees through
which the jib moves before changing its motion.
The engine we employ for driving this machine is of the type having
no dead centre, and which is not controlled by a fly wheel, so that
should any impediment or irregularity occur in the furnace to the stirring
tool or rabble the engine and machine will come to a state of rest
till such impediment is removed or avoided, for as the engine and its
work are so nearly equal, and as there, is no momentum (as in the case
of an engine having a fly wheel) the work and power are nearly
balanced.
The socket d carrying the jib plates e may instead of being above the
crank be below it, and this crank may be arranged to work at the top
of the column c.; this would of course cause the suspension rod fto
become a lever of what is technically called of the first order.
We also drive puddling machines direct, without the intervention of 1
any rotary motion, by means of a steam cylinder, the piston rod of which'
passes out at each end of the cylinder, and by means of connecting rods
imparts a to-and-fro motion to the suspension rods, and thus to the
rabbles or stirring tools The cylinder is mounted on the same socket
as that which carries the jib plates, and thus it has the same partially 2
rotative motion imparted to it. Steam is admitted to the cylinder for
actuating the piston through an opening (the inlet pipe being packed
with a gland) on the top of the cylinder in the same axis as the column,
round which the socket partially revolves, and its admission to each end
of the cylinder is controlled by a valve working inside the piston, such 2
valve receiving its motion from a ram which passes out of each end of
the piston, and at the extremity of its stroke coming into contact with
the cylinder covers.
In order to counteract any tendency to what may be called running
away or racing of the piston the regularity of its motion is controlled by :
a piston working in a cylinder containing oil or other liquid, and it is
impelled from one side of the cylinder to the other through an orifice,
the area of which can be regulated by a valve.
Another part of the improvements consists in forming the suspension
rods for carrying the rabble bars g telescopic, that is, the lower portion f¹ 3
is made to slide inside the upper part f, and is thus out of the work-

page_text: GEORGE ALFRED CLOUGH. (L.S.)