Iron and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: .Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1889
Specification Accepted, 25th May. 1859
Iron and in Apparatus therefor.
I, SIDNEY MCCLOUD, of Chicago, in the County of Cook, and. State of Illinois,
United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BARS AND ROUNDS OF STEEL OR IRON
AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My present invention, whilst applicable to the manufacture of bars and rounds of
iron, is especially well adapted to the manufacture of bars and rounds of malleable
steel, such bars being designed to be furnished to the trade as inerchant bars or
In
rounds, to be subsequently cut up and manufactured into a variety of articles.
the manufacture of bars or rounds of iron or steel, it is customary to reduce the
metal to the proper diameter by means of suitable reducing or drawing rolls. Bars or
rounds thus made, whilst suited for a variety of uses, are but poorly suited for others,
for the reason, among others, that there is a constant danger of the chrystallization
of the metal incident to long usage or frequent jar or shock, and for the further
reason that with bars or rounds of steel, more particularly, if the outer surface or
skin of the metal be cut; it so detracts from the strength of the bar or round, as to
render it easily broken. Moreover, with bars or rounds of steel, there is danger even
when the greatest care is exercised in their manufacture, of. flaws occurring in the
article by reason of "blow-holes" in the ingot or billet, from which the bar or round.
is made, this liability to flaws decreasing, however, with the working of the metal
incident to its reduction. It is a fact well recognized that the strongest part of a bar
or round of iron or steel is the part adjacent its surface, and particularly is this true
with bars or rounds of steel, the metal by reason of the working incident to its
reduction seeming to take upon itself a tougher or more fibrous quality adjacent its
surface than about its centre. The object of my present invention is to produce a bar or
round of iron or steel that shall possess a high degree of strength both tensile and lateral,
and which can be cheaply and readily manufactured. My invention also has for its :
object to produce a simple and effective method of making my improved bar or round:

page_text: This object of invention I have accomplished by forming a bar or round of iron or
steel from a single plate or plates of metal of suitable thickness, by folding or winding
the plate or plates preferably in the direction of the length, in such manner that the
bar or round shall consist of multiple thicknesses or layers of the metal superposed
and firmly pressed together, so as to form in effect a single piece. My invention
consists in the bar or round hereinafter described, as a new article of manufacture,
and consists also in the novel method and apparatus hereinafter described, whereby
said bar or round may be produced.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one form of apparatus whereby my
invention may be practiced, although I wish it understood that other forms of
apparatus may be used for this purpose.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of one form of a bar or round made in
accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in central longitudinal section through
the bar or round shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in cross section through a hollow
bar made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bar or
round formed by winding the plate of metal upon itself in spiral direction.
Fig. 5 is
an end view of still another form of bar or round embodying my invention and
formed by folding a plate of metal upon itself. Fig. 6 is a view in cross section
through another form of bar or round made by winding two plates of metal upon
themselves. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one form of apparatus whereby the bars or
rounds illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6 may be produced. Fig. 8 is a view in
longitudinal section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a front view of the apparatus
shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 10 is an end view of the guide or former shown in
Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 11 is a view in vertical transverse section through the guide or
former on line 11-11 of Fig. 7.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that
the bar or round there shown consists of multiple layers formed from a single plate of
metal, these layers being superposed by winding or folding the metal plate upon itself
in the direction of its length, so closely that the finished bar or round shall have much
the appearance of a bar or round produced from the reduction of a billet or ingot in
the ordinary manner. The bar or round thus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed from
a plate of iron or steel previously reduced to the proper width and thickness (say
twelve inches wide and a quarter of an inch thick) which plate while in heated
condition, is passed between suitable guides and rolls, until it acquires the shape of
the bar or round shown.
In Fig. 8 of the drawings, my invention is shown as applied to the production of a
hollow bar or round, this bar or round being produced in the same manner as that
shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that the action of the final reducing rolls is so
modified as. to leave the central cavity.
In Figure 4 of the drawings, the bar or round illustrated is similar to that illus-
trated in Figs. 1 and 2 with the single exception that the plate from which this
bar or round is formed, is directed into the guides in such manner that instead of
the plate being wound in a direction parallel to its length, it is wound at a slight
angle thereto, so that the grain or fibre of the plate shall extend in spiral direction
around the bar or round throughout its length.
In Figure 5 of the drawings is shown a bar formed of multiple layers superposed
from a single plate, the layers being arranged one upon the other in parallel
position, and firmly compressed together.
In Figure 6 of the drawings, is shown a bar or round formed by simultaneously
winding or coiling two sheets or plates of metal upon themselves, the operation
being the same as described with respect to the formation of the bar or round shown
in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 with the exception that two parallel plates are placed together
and wound instead of the single plate shown in said figures.
In each of the bars or rounds above described, it will be seen that the mutiple
thickness of metal are formed from a continuous plate, or plates, so that the finished bar
or round will possess not merely the strength and durability of the plate itself, but
by reason of the folds or curves given to the metal will acquire an additional strength,

page_text: the various layers serving to support and strengthen each other.
With an
ordinary bar or round of steel formed by the reduction of a billet or ingot,
if the periphery or outer surface be cut. the body of the metal can be readily
broken, whereas with a bar or round made from a continuous plate or plates, in
accordance with my invention, a cut or break in the outer layer will only pro-
portionately decrease the strength of the remaining layers of the metal, each layer
possessing the same strength or toughness that is usually found in that part of an
ordinary bar or round of steel adjacent its surface. So, also, it will be seen that
when the bar or round thus formed by superposing multiple thickness of metal, there
will be an elasticity given to the bar or round so that any shock or jar received at one
point will be distributed through out the entire body of metal, thus distributing the
strain, and avoiding the danger of chrystallization, incident to such articles as heretofore
produced.
In Figures 7 to 11 of the drawings, is illustrated a form of apparatus whereby
rounds, such as are shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6 may be produced.
:
Referring to the drawings of the apparatus, A designates the bed of the machine
upon which is mounted suitabie rolls B and C that will receive the plate of metal as it
passes from the reducing rolls, and will give to such plate a concavo convex shape.
The shaft of the roll B is provided with a suitable gear 64, that meshes with the
gear upon the shaft c of the roll (, these shafts b and c being suitably sustained by
brackets or bearings W mounted upon the bed of the machine. The shaft c also
carries at its end a ratchet wheel that is driven by means of the pawls d that
are pivoted to the drivings arms D which are keyed to the ends of the drive shaft D¹
that is separate from the shaft of the roll C. My purpose in thus driving the
rolls B and C by means of a ratchet wheel and pawls is to permit the rolls B and C
to move faster than the drive shaft D in case the final reducing rolls should draw
forward the metal plate or bar at a greater speed than that at which the rolls B and C
travel, and it is plain that this increased movement of these rolls is possible by reason
of the fact that when their speed is increased beyond that of the drive shaft D', the
ratchet wheel c² can ride under the teeth of the pawls D. As the metal plate passes
in concavo convex shape from the rolls B and C, it will pass between the guide
rolls E, which will serve to further bend up the edges of the metal plate and direct it
into the flaring mouth of the former F. This former F is preferably made of the
upper and lower parts fand f' suitably bolted together, as at f³ and sustained upon
the bed A of the machine. The lower part of the former has an interior of concave
shape its concavity being broad at its mouth and tapering gradually toward its end,
and the upper part of the former is provided upon its under side with a guide rib
or deflector 3, which is broadened, as at at its outer end and which tapers there-
from to a narrow point or rib at its extreme inner end. It will be observed that upon
cach side of this rib 3 in the upper part of the former extends the longitudinal
cavities and, the cavity f serving to receive one edge of the concavo-convex
plate, whilst the cavity receives the opposite edge of the plate, and these cavities are
so arranged and in such shape as to impart a swirl or lap to the concavo-convex plate
passes through the former. Thus if it be assumed that the metal plate in concavo-
convex shape has passed from the roll: B and C, and between the guide rolls E, into
the mouth of the former F, one edge of this plate will be within the groove or
channel of the former, and the other edge of the plate within the groove f³ of the
former and it is plain that as the plate is forced forward into the former, the edge
within the groove will be curled over as the plate is advanced into the narrowing
part of the former, until more or less of a coil is given to the plate before it passes
from the small end of the former. When the metal plate thus passes from the small
ead of the former Fit will be received by suitable reducing rolls G and G¹ within the
peripheries, of which are formed the grooves g of considerably smaller diameter than
the body of the plate as it leaves the former. Hence, the plate as it passes between
the reducing rolls G and G' will be 30 compressed that its layers will be further
wound or coiled upon each other. From the reducing rolls G and G the plate may
be passed into other similar reducing rolls until the metal is so compressed as to give
as

page_text: it the appearance of the finished article shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings. I
have found in practice that the finished bar or round may be readily formed with a
central opening as shown in Fig. 3, by merely modifying the action of the final
reducing rolls so that the inner edge of the metal plate will not be forced entirely to
the centre.
When the form of bar or round illustrated in Fig. 4 is to be produced the guide
or former of the apparatus will be so arranged with respect to the rolls B and C
as to permit the plate of metal to be delivered into the guide at a slight angle so
that the plate will be wound in somewhat spiral direction, as shown. When the
form of the bar or round illustrated in Fig. 6 is to be made the apparatus above
described may also be employed; but at such time two plates will be simultaneously
passed through the apparatus, instead of a single plate as in the manner hereinbefore
described.
It will be readily understood that when the form of bar illustrated in Fig. 5 of
the drawings is to be produced the apparatus must be modified and for this purpose
I prefer to employ, first, a series of corrugated rolls for imparting deep corrugations
to the metal plate, and then passing said corrugated plate through compressing and
reducing rolls until the finished bar shown in Fig. 5 is formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to he performed, I declare that what
I claim is :
1. As a new article of manufacture, a bar or round of steel or iron, com-
prising multiple layers superposed from the same plate or plates, substantially as
described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a bar or round of steel or iron, comprising
multiple layers formed by a winding sheet or plate (one or more) of metal upon
itself, substantially as described.
3. As a new article of manufacture, a bar or round of steel or iron having
the grain of the metal extending in the direction of its length, said bar or round
being formed from a plate (one or more) coiled or wound upon itself, substantially
as described.
4. As a new article of manufacture, a bar or round of steel or iron formed
from a plate (one or more) would spirally upon itself, substantially as described.
The herein described method of forming a bar or round of steel or iron,
which consists in folding or winding a plate (one or more) of metal upon itself,
and then passing said metal through suitable compressing or reducing rolls,
substantially as described.
6. The herein before described apparatus for forming a bar or round of iron or
steel comprising a suitable former F and suitable reducing rolls for receiving the
metal plate after it passes from said former, substantially as described.
7. The hereinbefore described apparatus for forming a bar or round of iron or
steel comprising suitable rolls B c, a suitable former F, and suitable reducing rolls G
and G, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of March 1889.