IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING, PICKLING, AND SWILLING METAL PLATES
Year: 1876

page_text: In the Matter of Letters Patent granted to Richard James Hutchings, of
Treforest, in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING,
PICKLING, AND SWILLING METAL PLATES," bearing date the Eighteenth
day of March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy six, No. 1171.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
lodged by the said Richard James Hutchings pursuant to the Statutes in that
case made and provided.
WHEREAS Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date the Eighteenth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy six, in the thirty ninth year of
Her reign, did give and grant unto the said Richard James Hutchings, his
executors, administrators, and assigns, the sole privilege of making, using,
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
exercising, and vending the said Invention of
OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING, PICKLING, AND SWILLING METAL PLATES," within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, for and during the term of fourteen years thence next ensuing :
"
And whereas, since the filing of the Specification, in pursuance of the said
Letters Patents, doubts have arisen as to the exact meaning of the disclaiming
clause therein contained just before the claims, wherefore and in order to remove
all such doubts I, by and with the leave of Her Majesty's Attorney General, desire
to alter and amend ny said Specification in the manner following:
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At page
3 line 10 of the Queen's Printer's copy I insert after the word
pickled" the words following: "And I would hero remark that when the motion
of the cradle A is either reciprocal or intermittent, the ribs or projections C
"and C may be omitted, as sufficiently conflicting currents are thereby created
without such ribs." And I strike out the words "As I have ascertained that
attempts have been made to construct a rotating cradle for a similar purpose,'"
from lines 49 and 50 of the said page 3, and insert in lieu thereof the words
following: "As I am aware that it bas heretofore been proposed to construct
pickling and swilling baths or vats in which a number of racks or cages con-
taining plates to be treated are placed one by one on a rotating cradle or
platform fitted permanently in such vat and adapted to be revolved therein
continuously or intermittently by hand, the racks or cages on completion of the
pickling treatment of each being taken out one by one with their contents
(instead of the platform with its racks and their contents being taken out bodily
by one and the same operation), for the purpose of being removed to the next or
swilling vat and placed there on a similar platform; the racks on completion of
"
"6
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<<
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page_text: «
contents, and placed in a drying vat or stove (istemu o
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bodily
A
racks, and their contents being taken out and removed by one and the same
operation)."
And in order that the effect of this Diselaimer and Memorandum of Alteration
may be better understood, I declare that the said Specification when so disclaimed
and altered as aforesaid will read as follows:-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD JAMES
HUTCHINGS, of Treforest, in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent,
bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy six, in the thirty ninth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard James
Hutchings, Her special license that I, the said Richard James Hutchings, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard James
Hutchings, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR HEATING, PICKLING, AND SWILLING METAL PLATES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard James Hutchings, my exccutors
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 Richard James Hutchings, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being bad
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,
that is to say :-
or
My said Invention relates to improved means, as hereafter described, of cleaning
metal plates by heating, pickling, and swilling them, preparatory to their receiving
a coating of tin or terne metal. The pickling pot or bath is preferably circular in
shape, and is provided with ribs or projections on its internal surface, the purpose
of these being to agitate the pickling liquor and cause it to pass more freely among
the plates in the bath in a cradle or rack. This cradle or rack is supported on a
shaft which passes up through a well at the centre of the bath, and by rotating
tho said shaft the depending cradle and plates are similarly rotated through the
pickling liquor.
The cradle is adjusted upon the revolving shaft in any such convenient manner
as will render it easily removable therefrom, so that when the plates in the cradle
have been sufficiently treated in the pickling bath, the cradle may be lifted from
the shaft so as to allow of the removal of the plates, or the cradle and its contents
may be transferred to another recoptacle or receptacles for the "swilling" or other
treatment of the plates.
Instead of revolving the cradle and shaft continuously in one direction, they may
be rotated first in one direction and then in another, or in lieu of revolving the
cradle and shaft they may be made stationary, and the pickling bath caused to
revolve instead continuously, reciprocally, or intermittently, as desired.
By another modification of my Invention, I place the bath in a horizontal or
longitudinal position, and cause the cradle with the plates to be reciprocated therein
instead of being rotated.

page_text: Will
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
describe the same with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of machinery or apparatus for heating, pickling,
and swilling metal plates, constructed according to my Invention, and shewing one
arrangement of carrying my Invention into effect; Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
A is the cradle or frame for carrying the plates to be pickled; B is the bath;
C, C, are the ribs or projections on the interior periphery of the bath, which is
preferably made circular in shape; there may be any number of these ribs or
projections; D is a hollow shaft or well at the centre of the bath, open at top and
bottom, provided at its outer circumference with ribs or projections C¹, and
containing a spindle or shaft E, supported at each end in bearings F. The shaft E
may be revolved in one or the other direction by means of bevel or other gearing
at its lower extremity. At its opposite other end a tapered square part is formed
The
which fits into a socket formed in the central sleeve G of the cradle A.
framework forming the cradlo A is suspended from the sleeve G by means of
rods H; and the top of the sleeve G is provided with a ring, by which the cradle
and its contents may be raised or lowered out of or into the pickling bath B.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the cradle A, shewn suspended from a snatch block,
and containing three racks I, detail views of which are given at Figure 4; Figure 9
is a perspective view of a modified construction of the cradle A.
When in operation the shaft E with the cradle A is caused to revolve, either
continuously, reciprocally, or intermittently, thereby passing the plates in the
racks I through the pickling liquor. The ribs or projections C and C' have the
effect of still further agitating the pickling liquor and causing conflicting currents
to impinge upon the sides of the plates, which are thereby more effectually pickled.
And I would here remark that when this motion of the cradle A is either reciprocal
or intermittent, the ribs or projections C and C¹ may be omitted, as sufficiently
conflicting currents are thereby created without such ribs. The liquor in the bath
may be heated by steam coils or any other known heating appliance. When the
plates have been sufficiently immersed in the bath B, the cradle A is raised from
the spindle E and is transferred with its contents to the spindle of another similar
water bath where the plates are washed or "swilled."
Figure 5 is a vertical section of one modification of an arrangement for carrying
my Invention into effect. Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the pickling bath B.
According to this arrangement the cradle A with its contents and attachments are
fixed, while the bath B revolves, otherwise the construction of the apparatus is very
similar to that shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 3. The bath B is provided as before
with ribs or projections C and C¹. The shaft E is keyed or otherwise fixed into a
socket or step J, and the bath B revolves around it on journals F, the lower one of
which may be formed, as shewn, in one with a bevel wheel K fixed to the bath B,
and gearing with another bevel wheel L fixed upon a shaft M. The shaft M is
driven in one or the other direction by means of the pulleys N upon its outer end.
As in the case of the revolving cradle arrangement already described, the
revolving bath may be caused to turn continuously in one direction, or first in one
direction and then in another, the three pulleys N being provided to facilitate the
latter arrangement; any well-known and simple automatic mechanism (such as is
used in an ordinary planing machine, for example), may be employed to reverse the
direction of revolution at any stated or desired intervals of time, and such automatic
Dreversing arrangement may be applied either to the revolving cradle or bath.
Another modified arrangement for carrying my Invention into effect is illustrated
at Figures 7 and 8, Figure 7 being a vertical section and Figure 8 a plan of this
apparatus. The cradle A in this case is placed in a horizontal position and is
mounted upon wheels O, which run upon rails laid along the edge of the bath B.
The racks I, containing the plates, are placed on the cradles or carriages in the
bath B, and these cradles or carriages are reciprocated in the bath B in any
convenient way, for instance, by means of eccentrics P fixed upon the shaft Q, the

page_text: shaft being operated from a pinion gearing with the spur wheel R on the shaft Q.
Although only two baths and cradles are shewn upon the Drawing, it will bo
readily understood that any number of such may be employed, neither do I confine
myself to the mode of actuating the cradles here shewn, as cams or cranks, for
example, may be equally effectively employed. After leaving the "pickling" and
"swilling" baths, the plates are dried in a chamber or stove heated by steam or
other means, and annealed so as to prepare them for immersion in the metal baths.
Having now describod the nature of my said Invention, and particularly
ascertained the modes of carrying the same into practical effect, I do not claim
the employment of a rotating cradle for pickling plates, except when constructed
and operating in a particular way, as I am aware that it has heretofore been
proposed to construct pickling and swilling baths or vats in which a number of
racks or cages containing plates to be treated are placed one by one on a rotating
cradle or platform fitted permanently in such vat, and adapted to be revolved
therein continuously or intermittently by hand, the racks or cages on completion
of the pickling treatment of cach being taken out one by one with their contents
(instead of the platform with its racks and their contents being taken out hodily
by one and the same operation) for the purpose of being removed to the next or
swilling vat, and placed there on a similar platform, the racks on completion of the
swilling treatment of each being also taken out one by one with their contents
and placed in a drying vat or stove (instead of the platform with its racks and
their contents being taken out bodily and removed by one and the same operation);
but I do claim,—
37
"
First. The employment of an open framework or cradle revolving continuously,
reciprocally, or intermittently, in conjunction with a "pickling or "swilling
bath provided with its ribs or projections, substantially as herein before described
and shewn.
33
"
Second. A revolving "pickling" or "swilling bath rotated continuously or
otherwise, and provided with ribs or projections, as and for the purposes herein-
before described and shewn.
Third. The employment of a framework or cradle, whother rotatory or stationary,
capable of being easily removed with the contained plates from one bath to another,
substantially as herein before described and shewn.
"
Fourth. A pickling" or "swilling " bath wherein cradle containing the plates
is reciprocated by means of eccentrics or other suitable appliances, substantically as
hereinbefore described and shewn."
In witness whereof, J, the said Richard James Hutchings, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above named Richard James
Hutchings to file in the Office of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions,
with the Specification to which the same relates, the above written Disclaimer
and Memorandum of Alteration.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard James Hutchings, of Treforest, in the County of
Glamorgan, South Wales, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING, PICKLING, AND SWILLING METAL PLATES."
Scaled the 25th July 1876, and dated the 18th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard James Hutchings
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1876.
RICHARD JAMES HUTCHINGS, of Treforest, in the County of Glamorgan, South
Wales. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING, PICKLING,
AND SWILLING METAL PLATES."
According to my Invention the pot or trough forming the bath, which is prefer-
ably circular in shape, is provided with ribs or projections on its internal surface.
At or about the middle of the pot there is a hollow shaft carrying ribs or projections,
preferably on the lower end thereof; a spindle carrying a cradle or frame for sup-
porting the plates to be treated passes through the hollow shaft. This cradle is on
the spindle and revolves therewith and is formed of sides with open framework so
that the plates to be treated may be conveniently supported therein and at the same
time have their surfaces exposed to the action of the liquid in the bath. The
spindle carrying the cradle or frame is carried through the hollow shaft of the bath
and the cradle or frame is so adjusted on its spindle that the position thereof corre-
sponds with or comes opposite to the ribs on the said hollow shaft.
The aforesaid spindle is provided with bevil gear to be driven in any convenient
way. The plates to be treated are placed in the frame in the bath, which frame is
rotated as aforesaid. The rotation of the cradle or frame, which may be revolved
in either direction or first in one direction and then in the other as required in the
bath, causes the liquid therein to be agitated, and this agitation is increased and
maintained during the rotation owing to the ribs or projections upon the sides of
the bath and the circumference of the hollow shaft. When the plates have been
sufficiently treated the cradle or frame is raised from the spindle by suitable
apparatus to be placed with the plates thereon on to the spindle of another bath or
elsewhere for the plates to be annealed or otherwise treated. I prefer to place the
bath and cradle vertically; they may, however, be set in a horizontal or other
convenient position. Instead of the spindle and cradle revolving these may be

page_text: fixed and the bath be caused to revolve, or bath spindle and cradle may revolve in
the same or reverse directions.
Apparatus or machinery constructed in the manner before described may be used
for what is known as "heating," "pickling," and "swilling," the contents of the bath
being regulated accordingly. Thus I am able to place plates in the cradle which is
first placed in acid bath where after being there sufficiently treated are removed
bodily with the cradle to the water bath to be there swilled without having to
remove the plates from the frame or cradle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard James Hutchings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September 1876.
RICHARD JAMES HUTCHINGS, of Treforest, in the County of Glamorgan, South
Wales. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING, PICKLING,
AND SWILLING METAL PLATES."
My said Invention relates to improved means as hercafter described of cleaning
metal plates by heating, pickling, and swilling them preparatory to their receiving
a coating of tin or terne metal. The pickling pot or bath preferably circular in
shape and is provided with ribs or projections on its internal surface, the purpose or
these being to agitate the pickling liquor and cause it to pass more freely among the
plates in the bath in a cradle or rack. This cradle or rack is supported on a shaft
which passes up through a well at the centre of the bath and by rotating the said
shaft the depending cradle and plates are similarly rotated through the pickling
liquor.
The cradle is adjusted upon the revolving shaft in any such convenient manner
as will render it casily removable therefrom, so that when the plates in the cradle
have been sufficiently treated in the pickling bath the cradle may be lifted from
the shaft so as to allow of the removal of the plates, or the cradle and its con-
tents may be transferred to another receptacle or receptacles for the "swilling"
or other treatment of the plates.
Instead of revolving the cradle and shaft continuously in one direction they
may be rotated first in one direction and then in another, or in lieu of revolving
the cradle and shaft they may be made stationary and the pickling bath caused to
revolve instead, continuously, reciprocally, or intermittently, as desired.
By another modification of my Invention I place the bath in a horizontal or
longitudinal position and cause the cradle with the plates to bo reciprocated therein
instead of being rotated.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I will de
scribe the same with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to
the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of machinery or apparatus for heating, pickling,
and swilling metal plates constructed according to my Invention and showing
one arrangement of carrying my Invention into effect. Figure 2 is a plan of the
same; A is the cradle or frame for carrying the plates to be pickled; B is the
bath; C, C, are the ribs or projections on the interior periphery of the bathı,
which is preferably made circular in shape. There may bc any number of
these ribs or projections; D is a hollow shaft or well at the centre of the bath,
open at top and bottom, provided at its outer circumference with ribs or pro-
jections C, and containing a spindle or shaft E, supported at each end in bear-
ings F. The shaft E may be revolved in one or the other direction by means of bevel
or other gearing at its lower extremity. At its opposite other end a tapered square
part is formed which fits into a socket formed in the central sleeve G of the cradle
A. The framework forming the cradle A is suspended from the sleeve G by means

page_text: of rods H, and the top of the sleeve G is provided with a ring by which the cradle
and its contents may be raised or lowered out of or into the pickling bath B.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the cradle A shewu suspended from a snatch-block and
containing three racks I, detail views of which are given at Figure 4. Figure 9 is
a perspective view of a modified construction of the cradle A.
When in operation the shaft E with the cradle A is caused to revolve either con-
tinuously, reciprocally, or intermittently, thereby passing the plates in the rucks I
through the pickling liquor. The ribs or projections C and C' have the effect of still
further agitating the pickling liquor and causing conflicting currents to impinge upon
the sides of the plates which are thereby more effectually pickled. The liquor in
the bath may be heated by steam coils or any other known heating appliance.
When the plates have been sufficiently immersed in the bath B the cradle A is raised
from the spindle E, and is transferred with its contents to the spindle of another
similar water bath where the plates are washed or "swilled."
Figure 5 is a vertical section of one modification of an arrangement for carrying
my Invention into effect. Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the pickling bath B.
According to this arrangement the cradlo A with its contents and attachments are
fixed while the bath B revolves, otherwise the construction of the apparatus is very
similar to that shewn at Figures 1, 2 and 3. The bath B is provided as before with
ribs or projections C and C. The shaft E is keyed or otherwise fixed into a socket
or step J and the bath B revolves around it on journals F, the lower one of which
may be formed as shewn in one with a bevel wheel K fixed to the bath B, and
gearing with another bevel wheel L fixed upon a shaft M. The shaft M. is driven
in one or the other direction by means of the pulleys N upon its outer end.
As in the case of the revolving cradle arrangement already described the revolv-
ing bath may be caused to turn continuously in one direction, or first in one direction
and then in another, the three pulleys N being provided to facilitate the latter
arrangement any well-known and simple automatic mechanism (such as is used in
an ordinary planing machine for example) may be employed to reverse the direction
of revolution at any stated or desired intervals of time, and such automatic reversing
arrangement may be applied either to the revolving cradle or bath.
Another modified arrangement for carrying my Invention into effect is illustrated
at Figures 7 and 8, Figure 7 being a vertical section and Figure 8 a plan of this
apparatus. The cradle A in this case is placed in a horizontal position and is
mounted upon wheels O which run upon rails laid along the edge of the bath B.
The racks I, containing the plates are placed on the cradles or carriages in the
bath B and these cradles or carriages are reciprocated in the bather B in any con-
venient way, for instance, by means of eccentrics P fixed upon the shaft Q, tho
shaft being operated from a pinion gearing with the spur wheel R on the shaft Q.
Although only two baths and cradles are shown upon the Drawing it will be readily
understood that any number of such may be employed, neither do I confine myself
to the mode of actuating the cradles here shown, as cams or cranks, for example,
may be equally effectively employed. After leaving the "pickling" and "swilling
baths the plates are dried in a chamber or stove heated by steam or other means
and annealed so as to prepare them for immersion in the metal baths.
"
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particularly ascor
tained the modes of carrying the same into practical effect, I do not claim the
employment of a rotating cradle for pickling plates except when constructed and
operating in a particular way, as I have ascertained that attempts have been made
to construct a rotating cradle for a similar purpose, but I do claim,-
"
33
First. The employment of an open framework or cradle revolving continuously,
reciprocally, or intermittently in conjunction with a "pickling or "swilling
bath provided with its ribs or projections, substantially as herein before-described
and shewn.
Second. A revolving "pickling" or "swilling" bath rotated continuously or
otherwise and provided with ribs or projections as and for the purposes herein-
before described and shown.

page_text: Third. The employment of a framework or cradle whether rotatory or stationary
capable of being easily removed with the contained plates from one bath to another,
substantially as herein-before described and shewn.
Fourth. A "pickling" or "swilling" bath wherein cradle containing the plates is
reciprocated by means of eccentrics or other suitable appliances, substantially as
herein-before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard James Hutchings, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
R. J. HUTCHINGS. (L.S.) 1