IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CASTING OF BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL HOOPS FOR THE TYRES OF RAILWAY WHEELS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR CASTING CYLINDRICAL FORMS IN BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Foster and Rupert Cooke, both of Sheffield,
in the County of York, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CASTING OF BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL HOOPS FOR THE TYRES OF
RAILWAY WHEELS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR CASTING
CYLINDRICAL FORMS IN BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 30th July 1867, and dated the 28th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Foster and Rupert
Cooke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 28th March 1867.
We, DAVID FOSTER and RUPERT COOKE, both of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CASTING OF BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL HOOPS FOR
THE TYRES OF RAILWAY WHEELS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR
CASTING CYLINDRICAL FORMS IN BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Heretofore in the manufacture of steel tyres for railway wheels it has been
usual in the production of the "bloom" preparatory to rolling to cut and forge
the same from an ingot of steel and to punch out the centre, thus involving
great labour and difficulty in estimating the quantity of metal required for
each hoop or tyre, and causing considerable loss in scrap.

page_text: Now the object of our improvements is to save the preliminary processes in
the production of a "bloom" for a steel hoop or tyre by casting it in a metal
mould with a moveable metal pin centre or core and cover, by which means
we produce a "bloom" for a hoop or tyre, which when reheated is ready to
be rolled and finished without requiring to be cut, hammered, or shaped, thus
preserving the original skin of the metal without injury thereto, by which
increased strength and uniformity in the steel hoop or tyre so produced is
obtained.
For this purpose in carrying our improvements into practice we employ a
metal mould (by preference of cast iron) arranged in combination with a move-
able centre pin or core, and a cover or lid, which is also moveable. The centre
or core with the lid or cover are held in position by a cotter or otherwise in such
manner that the cover can be caused to make a partial revolution to break off
or remove the "get" or runner of the casting directly after the melted steel
is run into the mould, the centre pin or core being then forced out either
upwards or downwards as may be found most convenient, thus leaving the steel
to contract uniformly throughout. The interior capacity of the mould is
suited to receive the exact quantity of steel required for the production of a
"bloom" for a hoop or tyre of given weight and dimensions. The metal
centre or core may be made either solid or hollow. In like manner
other similar cylindrical forms may be made of cast steel-suitable for other
purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Foster and Rupert Cooke in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
FOSTER and RUPERT COOKE, both of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said David Foster and Rupert Cooke, Her special licence that we, the
said David Foster and Rupert Cooke, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said David Foster and Rupert Cooke, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and

page_text: 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 THE CASTING
OF BESSEMER OR CRUCIBLE STEEL HOOPS FOR THE TYRES OF RAILWAY WHEELS, SUCH
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR CASTING CYLINDRICAL FORMS IN BESSEMER OR
CRUCIBLE STEEL FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said David Foster and Rupert Cooke, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said David Foster and Rupert Cooke, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
Heretofore in the manufacture of steel tyres for railway wheels it has been
usual in the production of the "bloom" preparatory to rolling to cut and forge
the same from an ingot of steel, and to punch out the centre, thus involving
great labour and difficulty in estimating the quantity of metal required for
each hoop or tyre, and causing considerable loss in scrap, punchings, and bad
ends.
Now the object of our improvements is to save the preliminary processes
(cutting, punching, and forging,) in the production of a "bloom" for a steel
hoop or tyre by casting it in a metal mould with a moveable metal pin centre
or core and cover, by which means we produce a "bloom" for a hoop or tyre
which when reheated is ready to be rolled and finished without requiring to be
cut, punched, hammered, or shaped, thus preserving the original skin of the
metal without injury thereto, by which increased strength and uniformity.in
the steel hoop or tyre so produced are obtained; but even should it be desirable
to hammer the bloom the processes of heating, cutting, and punching are
still avoided, and the cost thereof saved.
For the purpose of carrying our improvements into practice we employ a
metal mould (by preference of cast iron) arranged in combination with a
moveable metal centre pin or core and a cover.or lid, which is also moveable.
The metal centre pin or core, with the lid or cover, are held in their positions
by a. cotter or otherwise in such manner that when the cover is caused (by

page_text: means of a lever) to make a partial revolution it will break off or remove the
"get" or runner of the casting. Directly after the melted steel is run into
the mould the cotter is slightly eased, and the lid is caused to partially revolve
by means of a lever or other appliance moved either by hand, steam, or
hydraulic power; the cotter is then entirely removed, and the metal centre pin
or core is easily displaced by a blow, leaving the steel to contract uniformly
throughout without hindrance, thus preventing the bloom from cracking. The
-interior capacity of the mould is suited to receive the exact quantity of steel
required for the production of a "bloom" for a hoop or tyre of given weight
and dimensions. The metal centre pin or core may be made either solid or
hollow. In like manner other cylindrical forms may be made of Bessemer
or cast steel suitable for other purposes.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe
the manner in which the same is to be performed or carried into practice,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
g
Figure 1 represents a transverse section of a mould a with a tyre 9 therein
when cast, showing the moveable metal centre pin or core c passing through
the bottom of the mould a, and through the moveable lid or cover b; also the
positions of the cotter e, the get d, and lever f when the mould is fixed and
ready for casting a steel tyre in accordance with our Invention; Figure 2 is
a plan of the mould a for casting a tyre when ready for casting; Figure 3 is
an elevation of the mould a; Figure 4 shows a tyre bloom 9 when removed
from the mould, suitable (when reheated) for being rolled without hammering;
Figure 5 is an elevation of the moveable metal centre pin or core c formed
with channels or passages h from the top to about half an inch below the lid
or cover 6 for the purpose of allowing the air to escape freely from the mould
during the operation of casting; Figure 6 is a plan of the moveable metal
centre pin or core c; Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 show several views of a
mould and its moveable centre pin or core, suitable for casting a bloom
according to our improvements when the bloom is required to be hammered.
a, a, is the metal mould; b, b, is the moveable lid; c, c, is the metal centre
pin, plug, or core, passing through the bottom of the mould a, a, and also
through the moveable lid b, b. The metal pin centre or core c, c, and the
moveable lid b, b, are held in their respective positions by means of the cotter e.
The get or runner d may be fixed upon the lid by means of a cotter, or it may
be moveable. Immediately under the get d a layer of composition i is placed
in a recess formed in the bottom of the mould to prevent the melted steel when

page_text: being poured or run in from burning away that part of the mould. The lever f
or other similar appliance which may be actuated either by hand, steam, or
hydraulic powder, in order to cause the lid b, b, to partially revolve as soon as
the bloom g, g, is cast so as to cut off the get or runner d; h, h, are the
channels or passages in the pin for the escape of the air during the operation
of casting. The molten steel is run into the mould a, a, through the
runner d, and immediately this operation is concluded the cotter e is slightly
eased, and the lever for other appliance is moved so as to cause the lid b, b,
to make a partial revolution in order to cut off the get d; the cotter e is then
entirely removed, and by a blow the metal centre pin or core c, c, is easily
displaced, leaving the bloom g, g, to contract without hindrance, thus pre-
venting the bloom g, g, from cracking.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed or carried into practice, we wish it to be
understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but what we
claim as our Invention is the casting of hoops and other cylindrical forms for
the tyres of railway wheels and other purposes of Bessemer or crucible steel
in moulds arranged with a moveable cover and metal core or pin capable of
being readily detached from the mould after the metal is run in, substantially
in the manner herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Foster and Rupert Cooke, bave
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ID