IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR PICKLING IRON PLATES TO PREPARE THEM FOR BEING COATED
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Rogers, of the South Wales Iron and Tin
Plate Works, Llanelly, in the County of Carmarthen, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR PICKLING IRON PLATES TO PREPARE THEM
FOR BEING COATED."
Scaled the 3rd October 1879, and dated the 30th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Rogers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th July 1879.
JOHN HENRY ROGERS, of the South Wales Iron and Tin Plate Works, Llanelly,
in the County of Carmarthen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR PICKLING IRON
PLATES TO PREPARE THEM FOR BEING COATED."
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating or pickling iron plates
to prepare them for being coated.
When plates or sheets of iron are received from the mills, and are intended to be
afterwards coated with other melted coating metal, they are submitted first to what
is technically called black pickling, by-which the-black scale or oxide is removed
from their surface, after which they are usually black annealed, and then after
being cold rolled they are subjected to what is called white annealing; and, lastly,
they are white pickled, after which they are ready to undergo the coating process.
Now the object of my Invention is to arrange one or more paddles or other
instruments or apparatus, to which I give such a rocking motion that it causes a
regulated but rocking movement through the pickling liquid and an opening or
separating action between or amongst the iron or other metal plates which have
been placed in such cleaning liquid for the purpose of being pickled, whilst the
tank, cage, or racks are comparatively stationary.
The tank is the vessel which contains the liquid in which the plates are pickled
or the water in which they are afterwards washed or swilled.
The cage is an apparatus in which the plates are placed before they are lowered
into the tank containing the pickling liquor, and in this cage they are raised again
out of the tank and passed on to the water or swilling tank.
There are divisions in the cage, which I call racks; they are suitable for holding
a limited number of plates.

page_text: The tank may be made of lead; I prefer to have it lined with wood either out-
side or inside.
The cages or racks in which I place the plates are made by preference of brass or
copper, and when in their place do not practically rock with the rocking motion of
the pickling liquor, which has a washing action on the surfaces of the plates as the
liquor moves between them.
When I consider them sufficiently clean I raise the cage with its contents from
the pickling tanks by means of a mechanical arrangement or apparatus, by which
also in practice I lower them into such tanks.
And when raised from such pickling tanks I cause them to pass by a mechanical
arrangement, or apparatus in a horizontal or other suitable line of travel from the
pickling liquor to the swilling or water tanks, where they remain until I consider
them fit to be withdrawn and sorted over.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
January 1880.
JOHN HENRY ROGERS, of the South Wales Iron & Tin Plate Works, Llanelly,
in the County of Carmarthen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR PICKLING IRON
PLATES TO PREPARE THEM FOR BEING COATED."
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating and pickling iron
plates to prepare them for being coated. When plates or sheets of iron are received
from the mills, and are intended to be afterwards coated with other melted coating
metal, they are submitted first to what is technically called black pickling, by
which the black scale or oxide is removed from their surface; after which they are
usually black annealed, and then after being cold rolled they are subjected to what
is called white annealing; and, lastly, they are white pickled, after which they are
ready to undergo the coating process.
Now the object of my Invention is to arrange one or more paddles or other
instruments or apparatus, to which I give such a rocking motion that it causes a
regulated but rocking movement through the pickling liquid and an opening or
separating action between or amongst the iron or other metal plates which have
been placed in such cleaning liquid for the purpose of being pickled, whilst the
tank, cage, or racks are comparatively stationary..
The tank is the vessel which contains the liquid in which the plates are pickled
or the water in which they are afterwards washed or swilled.
The cage is an apparatus in which the plates are placed before they are lowered
into the tank containing the pickling liquor. And in this cage they are raised
again out of the tank and passed on to the water or swilling tank.
There are divisions in the cage, which I call racks; they are suitable for holding
a limited number of plates.
The tank may be made of lead; I prefer to have it lined with wood, either out-
side or inside.
The cages or racks in which I place. the plates are made by preference of a
suitable brass (an alloy of copper and tin) or copper, and when in their place do
not practically rock with the rocking motion of the pickling liquor, which has a
washing action on the surface of the plates as the liquor moves between them.
When I consider them sufficiently clean I raise the cage with its contents from
the pickling tanks by means of a mechanical arrangement or apparatus, by which
also in practice I lower them into such tanks.
And when raised from such pickling tanks.I cause them to pass-by- a mechanical
arrangement or apparatus in a horizontal or other suitable line of travel from the
pickling liquor to the swilling or water tanks, where they remain until I consider
them fit to be withdrawn and sorted over.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus arranged in the
manner which I prefer; Figure 2 is a transverse section, and Figure 3 is an hori-
zontal' section of the same; Figure 4 is an end elevation, and Figure 5 is a longi-
tudinal section of the cage, rack or plate holder which I use.
a, a, are tanks containing the liquors, and. in each tank there is a pair of
paddles b, b.; they are hung upon horizontal axes carried in bearings on the edges
of the tank, and they are coupled at the bottom by the link b'; b², 6², are arms
extending unwards from the noddles on thain

page_text: bar c is laid hold of by the hook like ends of the eccentric rods d, d. The eccentrics
actuating the paddles are upon an axis e, which can be rotated at a suitable speed
in any convenient manner. Thus the paddles which are in contact with the liquor
in the tank are made to vibrate or swing to and fro. through a small arc, and they
communicate a like movement to the liquor. The rack or plate holder repre-
sented by the Figures 4 and 5 is constructed of metal, with the exception of a
frame which is of wood. The metal should be of a nature not to be materially acted
upon by the pickle; a hard alloy of copper, such as is commonly used for making
racks of a like nature used in pickling operations, is the most suitable,
The rack or plate holder is provided with wheels to facilitate movement from
place to place before or after the pickling operation. The rack also is formed with
metal pins set in rows in a perforated bed plate resting directly upon the wooden
frame, as is clearly shown in the Drawings, Figures 4 and 5.
The rack or plate holder receives a number of plates into each of the spaces pro-
vided (but the plates must not be tightly packed), and with its load it is lowered
into the pickling tank. The paddles are then set in motion, and thereby a move-
ment is imparted to the liquor such as is very favorable to causing the liquor to
find its way between the plates, the edges of which the liquor meets as it moves
with the impulses it receives from the paddles. I employ a steam or hydraulic
cylinder to lift the racks or plate holders in and out of the tanks, and another
cylinder, g, to traverse the lifting cylinder horizontally whilst the load is held
suspended. The rod of the piston which works in the cylinder gis tubular, and
the steam or water pipe for the supply of the cylinder f is passed through it. Valves
operated by hand gear are provided in connection with each of the cylinders.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim, _
"
First. The use of paddles or like instruments moving to and fro in an horizontal
or nearly horizontal direction parallel, or nearly so, to the planes of the plates and
in contact with the liquor in the pickling tank, substantially as described.
Second. The improved means for treating or pickling iron plates to prepare them
for being coated, substantially as "herein described and illustrated by the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Rogers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord