Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and Iron Sheets.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and Iron Sheets.
We, REUBEN FARLEY, of Cambridge House, West Bromwich, in the County
of Stafford, Manufacturer, and EDWIN TONKS, of Holly Cottage, Holly Lane
West Smethwick, in the County of Stafford Manager of Works, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows: --
Our said invention consists of the process or combination of processes hereinafter
described for manufacturing steel and iron sheets, by which process or combination
of processes the manufacture of steel and iron sheets is facilitated and the quality
of the finished sheets improved.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we remark that in the
ordinary method of manufacturing steel and iron sheets a flat bar of heated steel
or iron of the kind called a sheet bar is passed through a pair of hard chilled
cylindrical rolls several times until the said. bar is reduced to a sheet of the
required thinness. In making very thin sheets it is necessary during the rolling
process to reheat the partially rolled sheets from time to time, the whole process
of converting the bar into a sheet being effected in the same pair of rolls.
This, the ordinary method of manufacture is attended with the following
inconveniences. Some of the scale. which forms on the surface of the metal during
the process of heating is in consequence of the hardness and smoothness of the
chilled rolls pressed into the surface of the sheets thereby causing a roughness on
the surface of the finished sheets. The chilled rolls when used continuously. get
heated to an injurious extent and the expansion and contraction consequent upon
the undue heating of the rolls frequently results in the cracking or fracture of
the said rolls.
Our invention consists in manufacturing steel and iron sheets by the following
process or combination of processes.
Instead of reducing the heated sheet bar by a continuous treatment in the same
pair of chilled iron rolls we use two or more sets of rolls to effect the reduction of
the sheet bar into a sheet and we conduct the manufacture in the. following
manner.
We first employ one or more pairs of roughing rolls for reducing the thickness
of the sheet bar preparatory to the rolling by which the reduced sheet bar is
converted into a sheet. The rolls by which we effect this preliminary treatment
of the sheet bar are of the kind called soft rolls, that is, rolls made of cast iron or
steel without chilled surfaces. By the use of the said soft rolls the scale produced
by the heating of the bar of iron or steel is more effectually disintegrated and
detached from the bar under operation than it is by chilled rolls. The soft rolls
have the advantage that water or steam may be projected on them and upon the
bar under operation for facilitating the removal of the scale without injury to the
said rolls. We drive the said soft rolls at a slow speed so as to reduce the bar as
much by one pass through these rolls as it would be. reduced. by several passes
through the ordinary chilled iron rolls rotating at the usual speed. The sheets
thus.. prepared by the roughing rolls are finished..by the use of the ordinary
chilled rolls:
The roughing rolls are driven independently of the chilled or finishing rolls and
may be either in front of or at the rear of..the chilled finishing rolls or they, may

page_text: be placed so that their axes are in the same lines as the axes of the chilled
finishing rolls.
By conducting the manufacture of steel and iron sheets according to our invention
the cracking and fracture of the chilled rolls is diminished the surfaces of the
finished sheets improved, the process of manufacturing the said sheets economised
and the output increased.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and Iron Sheets.
We, REUBEN FARLEY, of Cambridge House, West Bromwich, in the County
of Stafford Manufacturer, and EDWIN TONKS, of Holly Cottage, Holly Lane,
West Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Manager of Works, do hereby declare
the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our said invention consists of the process or combination of processes herein-
after described for manufacturing steel and iron sheets, by which process or
combination of processes the manufacture of steel and iron sheets is facilitated
and the quality of the finished sheets improved.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we remark that in the
ordinary method of manufacturing steel and iron sheets a flat bar of heated steel
or iron of the kind called a sheet bar is passed through a pair of hard chilled
cylindrical rolls several times until the said bar is reduced to a sheet of the
required thinness. In making very thin sheets it is necessary during the rolling
process to reheat the partially rolled sheets from time to time, the whole process of
converting the bar into a sheet being effected in the same pair of rolls.
This, the ordinary method of manufacture is attended with the following
inconveniences. Some of the scale which forms on the surface of the metal during
the process of heating is pressed into the surface of the sheets thereby causing a
roughness on the surface of the finished sheets. The chilled rolls when used
continuously get heated to an injurious extent and the expansion and contraction
consequent upon the undue heating of the rolls frequently results in the cracking
or fracture of the said rolls. To avoid such injurious heating of the said finishing
rolls it has heretofore been necessary to limit the quantity of sheets rolled in a
given time.
Our invention consists in manufacturing steel and iron sheets by the following
process or combination of processes.
Instead of reducing the heated sheet bar by a continuous treatment in the same
pair of chilled irou rolis we use two or more pairs or sets of rolls to effect the
reduction of the sheet bar into a sheet and we conduct the manufacture in the
following manner.
We first employ one or more pairs of separate roughing rolls for reducing
the thickness of the sheet bar preparatory to the rolling by which the reduced sheet
bar is converted into a sheet. The rolls by which we effect this preliminary
treatment of the sheet bar are preferably of the kind called soft rolls, that is, rolls
made of cast iron or steel without chilled surfaces. By the use of the said roughing
rolls the scale produced by the heating of the bar of iron or steel is more effectually
disintegrated and detached from the bar under operation than it is by the ordinary
chilled finishing rolls as the said roughing rolls have the advantage that water or
steam may be projected on them and upon the bar under operation for facilitating

page_text: the removal of the scale without injury to the said rolls. We drive the said
roughing rolls at a slower circumferential speed than that of the finishing rolls so
as to reduce the bar as much by one pass through these rolls as it would be reduced
by several passes through the ordinary chilled finishing rolls rotating at the usual
speed. The sheets thus prepared by the roughing rolls are finished by the use of
the ordinary chilled finishing rolls.
By conducting the manufacture of steel and iron sheets according to our invention
the cracking and fracture of the chilled finishing rolls is diminished, the surfaces
of the finished sheets improved, the process of manufacturing the said sheets
economised, and the output increased.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in plan a pair of separate
roughing rolls which we employ in manufacturing steel and iron sheets according
to our invention, and
Figure 2 represents in plan two pairs of hard chilled sheet finishing rolls which
are supplied with partially formed sheets from the separate roughing rolls
Figure 1.
We drive the separate roughing rolls a (Figure 1) at a slower circumferential
speed than the sheet finishing rolls b, b (Figure 2) and pass the heated sheet bar
first through the roughing rolls and thereby effect a reduction in thickness of the
said heated sheet bar at one pass through the said soft iron roughing rolls as
could only be effected by several passes through a pair of the ordinary sheet
finishing rolls.
By projecting a stream of water or jets of steam upon the said roughing rolls aud
sheet bar under operation the scale formed on the surface of the sheet bar by the
heating of the same is disintegrated and removed.
By the great reduction in thickness at one pass effected by the roughing rolls,
time and labour are economised and the sheet bars do not lose so much of their
initial beat as is the case when they are passed and re-passed a great number of
times through a pair of hard chilled sheet finishing rolls to effect an equal reduction
in the thickness of the sheet bar. Further, the hard chilled sheet linishing rolls
being relieved of a number of passes of the sheet bar through them the said rolls
do not get heated to an injurious extent and a greater quantity of sheets may be
finished through them in a given time without the danger of cracking or breakage
of the said finishing rolls through undue expansion and contraction.
It will be seen by reference to the drawing that the roughing rolls are driven
independently of the chilled finishing rolls and are arranged in front of the said
chilled or finishing rolls but we do not limit ourselves to the arrangement of the
said rolls as the roughing rolls may be so placed that their axes are in the same
lines as the axes of the chilled finishing rolls; or the rougbing rolls may be
arranged at the rear of the chilled finishing rolls.
After the treatment of the sheet bars in the roughing rolls in the manner
hereinbefore described they are passed onto one or other of the pairs of sheet
finishing rolls b, b (Figure 2) and are there rolled and re-rolled until the required
reduction has been effected.
We have shown two pairs of sheet finishing rolls in connection with one pair of
roughing rolls but we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to
that number of pairs of finishing rolls nor to the employment of only one pair of
roughing rolls in conjunction therewith.
And although we have stated that we prefer to use soft or unchilled iron or steel
roughing rolls we do not limit ourselves thereto as any rolls which will withstand
the action of water and steam may be employed for the rough rolling described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim as our invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of steel and iron
sheets"-
First. The process or combination of processes for the manufacture of steel and

page_text: iron sheets herein before described, the said process or combination of processes
consisting in first passing, the heated sheet bars through one or more pairs of
independently driven roughing rolls, rotating at a slower circumferential speed than
the ordinary chilled finishing rolls, by which roughing rolls a great reduction in the
thickness of the sheet bars is effected at each pass, and subsequently treating the
partially formed sheets in the ordinary chilled iron sheet finishing rolls substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Secondly. In the treatment of sheet bars. for the production of steel and iron
sheets claimed in the first claim, the, application during the rough rolling process
to the roughing rolls and sheet bar under operation of water or steam substantially
as described.
Dated the Twelfth day of December 1896
REUBEN FARLEY...
EDWIN TONKS.