IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU FACTURE OF HOOPS AND TYRES, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ramsbottom, of Crewe, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU
FACTURE OF HOOPS AND TYRES, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Scaled the 22nd December 1865, and dated the 31st July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ramsbottom at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
July 1865.
I, JOHN RAMSBOTTOM, of Crewe, in the County of Chester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF HOOPS AND TYRES, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
to be as follows.—
п
The first part of my Invention relates to certain improvements upon a
Patent granted to me on the Seventh day of January One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four, Number 48, and it consists in an improved mode of
dividing the ingots described in the Specification of the said Patent so as to
reduce the waste. In the said Specification I described how the ingots were
cut into discs by means of circular saws, thereby removing a portion of metal
equal to the diameter of the ingot and the thickness of the saw. My present
Invention cousists in reducing the quantity of metal removed by the saw, by
forcing into the circumference of the ingot (whilst it is being rotated on its
axis by fiction rollers) a revolving disc or discs, so as to form annulai grooves
and to reduce the diameter of the parts to be sawu.

page_text: Another part of my Invention consists in the use of a rourd ended taper
punch or punches, in lieu of the flat ended punches described in the Specifi-
cation above referred to, in order to perforate the disc without removing any
portion of the metal.
Another part of my Invention consists in producing ingots of such a forni
that they may be converted into discs, and consequently into hoops or tyres,
without the loss of any portion of the metal, excepting that resulting from
oxidation; for this purpose I cast ingots of a conical or pyramidal form, with
a portion of the apex removed, and of such a taper as to admit of being
flattened into discs by hammering or compression in the direction of their
axes. The base of the ingot may be cast with a rim to form the flango of the
tyre, or the flange may be raised in a subsequent opera'ion by dies or
ether wise. The neck of the mould through which the metal is run should bo
parallel or nearly so, and when the comical part of the mould is filled it is
closed either by a plate and sand in the usual manner, or the neck may be
bored and a metal plug inserted in lieu of the plate and sand The mould
may be filled to the bottom of the neck only, or partly to he neck; in the
latter case the cylindrical projection cast on the ingot may be removed, or the
external edge taken off to prevent overlapping when compressed. Instead of
making the ingots conical or pyramidal as above descubed, they may be made
hemispherical, bell shaped, or other conoidal form, which will admit of the
whole being compressed into a disc.
Another part of my Invention consists in the use of a revalving plain taper
mandil, or a mandiil with longitudinal grooves for expanding hoops, as
described in the Provisional Specification of Letters Patent applied for by ine
on the Twenty-fifth May One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, Number
1425; also an applying pressure rollers placed ou opposite sides or around to
force the hoop on the mandil.
The last part of my Invention relates to the manufacture of hoops for
making boilers, and it consists in making from cylindrical ngots, or jugots of
a form approaching thereto, thick hoops which, are gradually increased in
diameter and length until of sufficient size to be finished in a rolling mill.
My improved machinery for expanding the thick hoops consists of a mandul
on which the hoop is placed, on each side of the mandal is a roller, and the
surfaces of the mandil and rollers are grooved diagonal y in opposite duec-
tions, thus leaving diamond-shaped projections on them. The rollers are
driven by steam or other power, and they are pressed against the hoop, which
is enlarged in diameter and expanded lengthwise by the pressure and the
lateral action of the projections on the rollers and mandr l. When the boop

page_text: has been partially expanded it is put on another mandril, or on to a laige
diameter of the same mandril, and again acted upon by the rollers as above
desc: bed, or the hoop may be worked out under the bamme of sufficient
size to be placed at once upon one of two rollers which bave projections as
above descubed, and which are pressed together, or the thick hoop may be
put on a revolving mandril, and expanded both in length and diameter by a
1oller, which is traversed to and fro in the direction of the axis of the hoop;
in this arrangement the hoop and traversing solle must be pressed together,
or the hoop may be expanded by hammering on a mandul
The hoops for
making boilers above descubed may be kept hot while being rolled by highly
heated au forced against the hoop by a fan or otherwise, or by jets of flame
from a suitable furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ramsbottom, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
RAMSBOTTOM, of Ciewe, in the County of Chester, Engineci, send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, beaung date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Ramsbottom. Her special license that I, the said John Ramsbottom,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, of such others as I, the said
John Ramsbotton, 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 Butain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF HOOPS AND TYRES, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED
THEREIS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tho said John
Ramsbottom, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of then hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the sand 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ramsbottom, do hneby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Specification thereof (that is to say)
-
The fist put of my Invention relates to certain improvenients upon a
Patent granted to me on the Seventh day of January One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four, Number 48, and it consists in an impr vel mode of
dividing the ingots described in the Specification of the said Patent so rs to
reduce the waste In the said Specification I described how the ingots were
cut into discs by means of circular saws, thereby removing a portion of nietal
equal to the diameter of the ingot and the thickness of the saw My present
Invention consists in reducing the quantity of metal removed by the saw, by
forcing into the circumference of the ingot (whilst it is being ictated on its
axis by fiction rollers) a revolving disc or dises by which ai.nular grooves
are formed and the diameter of the parts to be sawn is reduced.
In Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 1 a transverse
section, Figure 2 an end elevation, and Figure 3 a longitudinal section of
a machine for dividing round steel ingots in the manner above referred to. a,
represents the ingot, which is supported on the friction 10'lers b, b, the
encumferences of these rollers are made with small annular grooves, or they
are other wise roughened to give the requisite fiiction for tu ning the ingot
1ound, above the got is the shaft c, on which four or other convenient number
of discs & are fixed by means of the flanges d', or in any other manner, or a
single disc made to traverse laterally on the axle may be used. The ends of
the shaft c pass 'through the eccentric bushes c', which hit n holes in the
standards or framing of the machine. To each eccentric bish c' is fixed a
pur wheel c
gearing into the pinions c', fixed to the cross shaft c, one end
of which is square to receive a key. The shafte is turned round by friction
gea, hydraulic or steam power, to raise or lower the shaft c, with the discs d.
The rollers baie cansed to revolve by steam or other power actuating the
diving shaft f, on which is fixed the pinion f', geuing into the wheels b',
fixed to the axles of the rollers b, b.
The mode of operation is as follows.-The Diawing represents the disc d,
in the positions they occupy when the annulai gropses have been formed i
the ingot, the attendant must now apply the requisite power to the shaft 6, for
tuining it round so as to raise the shaft c to its lughest point, thereby drawing
the discs dout of the grooves in the ingot; the got can now be removed from
the machine and another one, when sufficiently heated, put in its place, the
rollers bare then caused to rotate and the discs are gradually brought

page_text: down and forced into the cucumference of the ingot by tuiming the shaft e
1ound in the manner above described The discs are kept cool during the
opciation by small jets of water thrown against the sides of each. The
1otary motion of the rollers causes the ingot and the discs to rotate also. The
depth of the annular grooves made in the mgot can be mercased or dimmished,
but sufficient metal should be left to hold the parts of the got together
until they are separated by a cucular or other saw, or the grooves may be
made so deep that the ingot can be divided without sawing.
Another part of my Invention consists in the use of a round ended tapei
punch or punches in lieu of the flat ended punches described in the Specification
above referred to in order to perforate the disc without removing any portion
of the metal Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 represent the machmiery for
performing this part of my Invention. In Figure 9, I have shewn how the
disc a may be perforated and partially expanded in a duplex steam hammel
constructed in the manner described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me on the Thirteenth day of April One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three, Number 924 In this case the round ended taper punch n
15 hung to one of the ham uer blocks, and the perforated block o is keyed
to the other hammer block, the dise a is supported on a plate or on suitablo
1ollers to facilitate the turning round of the disc dating the operations of
punching and expanding; or the disc a may be supported in pincers attached
to a clane In Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, m iepresents the lower end of the
hammer block of an ordinary vertical steam hammer, to which is secured the
round ended taper punch 22, the sides of which are extended so as to act on
the surface of the disc, o is a perforated block fixed to the anvil and provided
with a moveable female o'. In Figure 4, a represents a disc of iron or steel
which may have been prepared in the manner described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, on many other convenient manner; this disc in a white
o bight red heat is laid on the block o, and the taper punch n by repeated
blows of the hammer is gradually forced through or nearly though it, thu
attendant partially turning the disc round on its axis during the operation.
When the point of the punch through or nearly through the disc it is
turned over and the taper punch is forced through from the opposite sido
thus expanding the hole; the dise may be turned over several times to cularge
the hole to the required degree by forcing through the punch », and when
the hole is sufficiently enlarged to allow the punch to pass freely through it
the lower side of the extended portion or wings of the puuch acting on the
flat surface of the disc as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, gradually reduces it
thickness and expands it proportionately in diameter The operation of

page_text: '
flattening the disc proceeds until it has assumed the required tl ickness. In
addition to perforating and flattening the disc as above described the circum-
ference thereof may also be tapered and consolidated by the blocks u', sco
Figures 7 and 8, which form part of the taper punch, or the blocks u may
form part of the anvil block o, as shewn by dotted lines in Fig ire 5, in this
case loose block pieces to suit different diameters of discs may be used I
prefer to make the taper punches described of cast steal.
Another part of my Invention consists in producing ingots of such a form
that they may be converted into discs and consequently into hoops or tyres
without the loss of any portion of the metal excepting that esalting from
oxidation. For this purpose I cast ingots of a comical or pyramidal form with
a portion of the apex removed, and of such a taper as to admit of being
flattened into discs by hammering or compression in the dire tion of their
axes. The base of the ingot may be cast with a um to form the flange of
the tyre, or the flange may be raised in a subsequent operation by dics or
other wise. The neck of the mould through which the metal is run should be
parallel or nearly so, and when the conical part of the mould is filled it is
closed either by a plate and sand in the usual manner, or the neck may ho
bored and a metal plug inserted in lieu of the plate and sand. The mould
partly into the neck; in the
miny be filled to the bottom of the neck only or
latter case the cylindrical projection cast on the ingot, may be removed or tho
external edge taken off to prevent overlapping when compressed. Instead
of making the ingots comical or pyramidal as above described they may be
made hemispherical, bell shaped, or other conoidal forin which will adrut of
the whole being compressed into a disc.
35 a
This part of my Invention will be fully understood in reference to Figures
10 to 22 on Sheet 2. Figure 10 is a vertical section of a mould for casting
conical ingots, and Figure 11 is a plan of the lower part thereof.
cast-on plate forming the base of the mould, this plate is by preference
1ccessed to form the base of the ingot with a rounded edge, and it is surrounded
by the wrought-on hoop a¹; y is the taper part of the 11ould, which is
strengthened by the bridle y', upon which is forged, a lug for the convenienco
of cleaning and papering the mould. The upper part of the mould is
cylindrical, and it is closed by the plug Z, formed of sand contained between
two plates Z. The plug is held down by the bolt Z passing through the
staples Z³ in the usual manner. I wish to observe that the ower plate is
so small that it will disappear by oxidation in the furnace, i: is therefore not
necessary to remove it from the apex of the ingot previou, to compiessing.
O the cylindrical part of the mould may be closed by tho metal plug Z', shewn

page_text: in Figure 12, the hollow part of which is filled with wet sand or water.
The plugs shewn in Figures 10 and 12 are shewn to fill the whole of the
cylindrical portion of the mould, consequently the ingot cast is such moulds
would be a cone with the apex removed, and the peculiar tape of the cone
in such that the ingot when compressed by repeated blows of a hammer, or
by hydraulic or other pressure will expand into a disc without the loss oi
waste of any portion of the metal, except that resulting from oxidation.
The discs so produced may afterwards be converted into hoops or tyies by any
of the processes described in the present Specification, or in the Specifications
of other Patents granted to me, or in any other manner.
The various forms of ingots shewn in Figures 13 to 22 may also be com-
pressed into dises without loss of metal. These ingots are all of a conoidal
form, being broader at the base than at the summit, but they may be made
with flat sides, or poligonal if preferred.
I would observe that if from overfilling the mould a cylindrical projection
be cast on the ingot this projection may either be removed before compressing
the got, or the external edge thereof may be taken off to prevent the metal
overlapping when the pressure is given. The peculiar shapes of mgots shown
in the Diawing are only given as illustrations of this part of my Invention, and
may be considerably vaned or modified according to the manner in which the
Ingot is treated in the heating and compressing.
Another part of my Invention consists in the use of a revolving plain
taper mandil, or a mandil with longitudinal grooves for expanding hoops, as
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the Twenty-
fifth May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-hve, Number 1425, also in
applying pressure rollers placed on opposite sides or around to force the hoop
on the mandiil.
Figure 23 represents a plan of a mandal with longitudinal grooves ulus-
trating this part of my Invention.
a is the hoop to bo expanded, and the
taper maudil, which instead of being made with spiral grooves as described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the Twenty-fifth day of
May, One thousand eight hundied and sixty-five, Numbered 1425, is made
either plain or with longitudinal grooves, as shown in the Diawing. The hoop
is forced up the taper mandil by means of the rollers 9 and 3, as shown in
Figure of the Diawings forming part of the said Specification, but I prefer
to employ two pairs of rollers acting on opposite sides of the hoop, or more than
two paus of sollers may be employed, acting on several parts of the hoop.
The last part of my Invention relates to the manufacture of hoops for
making boilers, and it consists in making from cylindrical ingots, or ingots

page_text: of a form approaching thereto, thick hoops, which aid gradually increased in
diameter and length until of sufficient size to be finished in. rolling null.
My improved machinery for expanding the thick hoops consists of a mandril,
on which the hoop is placed; on each side of the mandil is a toller, and the
surfaces of the mandul and rollers are grooved diagonally in opposite
dnections, thus leaving diamond-shaped projections on them; the rollers
are diven by steam or other power, and they are pressed ag unst the hoop,
which is enlarged in diameter and expanded lengthwise be the pressure
When
and the lateral action of the projections on the rollers and muncul.
the hoop has been partially expanded it is put on another mai dil, or on to a
larger diameter of the same mandul, and again acted upon ly the rollers as
above described
in any
On Sheet 3, Figure 24 is an elevation, and Figure 25 an end view of the
mandil and rollers above referred to for expanding hoops for making boilers
The standards and geaning of the rollers are not shown, as they may be made
suitable manner a is a thick hoop previously prep. ted by casting,
punching, or forging, which is placed upon the pandil p, the surface of
which is grooved diagonally in opposite directions, thus leaving diamond
shaped projections between the grooves The mandal is placed between the
1ollers and r, the smfaces of which are groovel diagonally, the grooves
of the two rollers being in contiary duections, and, of different pitches, thus
the pitch of the grooves in the roller 7 niay be ten inches, and that of the
1olle eleven inches. The rollers 7 and 7 are pressed agains, the boop by set
When the machine is in operation the pressure on the
screws, or otherwise.
hoop, in combination with the action of the diagonal grooves and projections
on the rollers and mandul gradually expand the hoop in length and enenm-
ference, but as the encumferential expansion in the form of a circle is
prevented by the rollers, the hoop will gradually assume an elliptical shape,
as shewn in Figure 25, and when sufficiently expanded the rollers must be
separated to allow the mandul to be forced further through the hoop, or until
it is on the larger diameter thereof, after which the expanding operations proceed
as before.
Figures 26 and 27 represent a modification of this part of my Invention
In this case the hoop a is supposed to have been hammed or otherwise
prepared of sufficient size to be placed at once on one of the rollers 9 and 1,
the surfaces of which are made with grooves running in the same direction,
but at differcut pitches, in the manner desci.bad in reference to the previous
Figures The rollers are pressed together by screws or otherwise, and they
are connected by pimo.is, which cause them to revolve in the duections shown

page_text: in Figure 27. The combined action of the pressure and the projections
between the grooves on the rollers 9 and r, which being inclined in contrary
duections at the point of contact produce an action equivalent to that of the
diamond-shaped projections on the mandril p, cause the hoop to expand in
length and in diameter, and the action is continual until the hoop is cool, or
until it has assumed the proper dimensions.
Figures 28 and 29 represent another modification of this pait of my Inven-
tion In this case the rollers 7 and r are made with diagonal grooves in opposito
directions, thereby leaving diamond-shaped projections between them, but as
the pitches of the grooves on each roller are different, that is to say, the loft-
hand diagonal groove may be ten inch pitch, while the right-hand one is eleven
inches, or vice versa, it follows that the points of intersection of the grooves
do not follow in lines parallel to the axes of the rollers, but slightly diagonal,
ts shown in Figures 28 and 30, which latter view also shews a part of the
surface of the roller drawn full size, of about the size of groove and projection
which I consider best adapted to the work. The reason for arranging the
diamond-shaped projections in diagonal lines is, that they may act in suc-
cession on the line of contact of the rollers, thereby leaving the hoop free to
expand in length, which it would not be if the grooves were of equal pitch.
In all the cases above described and shown, the lateral action of the projections
on the rollers q and produce the desired lateral strain on the heated hoop to
expand it in both directions, or the thick hoop may be put on a revolving
mandil, and expanded both in length and diameter by a roller which is
traversed to and fro in the direction of the axis of the hoop. In this
arrangement the hoop and traversing roller must be pressed together.
This mode of expanding thick hoops is represented on Sheet 4, Figure 31
being an elevation, Figure 32 an end view, and Figure 33 a plan of a machine
for performing the desued operations, these views are all shewn in section
A is the hoop to be operated upon, this hoop is hung on tho mandul B,
supported in the bearings C. One end of the mandil projects beyond its
bearing, and is caused to revolve slowly by the attendant acting on the
porter bai B, the socket of which fits on the end of the mandril The weight
of the mandil is supported by a chain passing round the grooved pulley B',
on any other convenient manner. The porter bar B2 servos also to draw
the mandiil out when putting on or taking off a hoop The bearings C are
gradually raised during the operation of expanding the hoop by the columns D
passing through holes in the main fiaming of the machine The lower ends
of the columns D bear upon the wedges E, the lower suilace of which is

page_text: toothed and gears into the pinion F, which is turned round by tl e attendant
when required to move the wedges to and fro. Above the hoop A is the
roller G, which is loose on the axle G. passing through bearings on bushes in
the sector II, the cucumference of which is toothed and gears in the rack I,
cast with or fixed to a beam forming part of the main framing, the roller G is
caused to traverse to and fro by the connecting rods J, 'the ends of which aro
jointed to the axle G¹ and to the crank K; tho object of the toothed
segment and jack I is to keep the roller G moving in a homontal plane.
The same object may be attained by links or guide pins. The sector II is
more than counter balanced by the weighted levers L to hold the sector in
contact with the beam or table of the rack I, the 'links L' forming the
connection between the sector and levers The crank shaft K is turned
1ound by the diving shaft M, and the wheels and pinions shew 11 the plan
and by dotted cucles in the elevation. As soon as a heated hoop of suitable
thickness has been put on the mandit B the crank is put in motion to
move the roller G to and fro longitudinally. The attendant the turns round
the pinion F, so as to move the wedges E in the direction of the arrow. The
beauings C are thus gradually raised to press the hoop A agains, the roller G
and the rotary motion of the hoop with the lateral motion of the roller G in
combination with the pressuio between the two cause the hoop to expand
both in length and diameter until it has assumed the required diameter and
thickness, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 81. Or the hoop may be
expanded in the manner above described by hammering. In that case a
mandril similar to B would be supported on an anvil and a hammer or
hammers acting in succession after the manner of Ryder's forging machine,
would be made to strike on every portion of the cucumference of the hoop by
gradually tuning round the mandiil as the oporation proceeds. The hoops
for making boilers above described or other hoops may be kept hot whilo
being finished in a suitable rolling mill by air heated, by being forced by a fan
or other wise through a chamber loosely filled with bricks previously heated,
somewhat similar to the apparatus known as Siomen's iegenei itor; or jets of
flame produced in a furnace, as patented by Wilham Bertram in One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, Number 2692, may be caused to
impinge against the thin hoop whilst it is being rolled.
Ilaving thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several
modes of canying the same into practical operation, I wish to remark that I
do not intend to limit or confine mysclt to the details given, I ut what I claim

page_text: Fust, the improved mode of dividing ingots, as shewn and described in
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, and the combination of machinery for
effecting the same.
Secondly, the application of a round-ended taper punch when used in the
manner described for perforating discs without removing any of the metal, as
shewn in Figures 4 to 9, inclusive.
Thudly, the casting or producing ingots in the manner and of the forms
shewn and described in reference to Figures 10 to 22, mclusive, which ingots
may be compressed into discs without the loss of any portion of the metal
excepting that resulting from oxidation.
Fourthly, the use of a plain taper mandil, or a mandal with longitudinal
grooves for expanding hoops, in combination with pressure rollers, as shewn
and described in reference to Figure 23.
Fifthly, the application of rollers with diagonal grooves in combination with
a mandil baving diagonal grooves in opposite directions for expanding hoops
in length and diameter, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 24
and 25
Sixthly, the combinations of rollers when grooved in the manner shewn and
described in reference to Figures 26 to 30, inclusive, for expanding hoops
lengthwise and in diameter.
Seventhly, the combination of machinery shewn and described in reference
to Figures 31, 32, and 33, for expanding hoops lengthwise and in diameter.
Eighthly, the modes described of expanding hoops by hammering on a
mandril.
And, lastly, the application of highly-heated au o jets of flame to hoops
for making boilers whilst being rolled.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsbottom, havo hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of January One thousand eight
huudied and sixty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
in the presence of
II. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
J. RAMSBOTTOM. (LS)