MENTS IN ROLLS."
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Brown at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th August 1881.
THOMAS BROWN, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Roll Turner.
MENTS IN ROLLS."
86 IMPROVE-
My improvements have reference first to rolls working three high, and used for
rolling rails for railways and other like purposes.
As the said rolls are ordinarily made the grooves in the top and bottom rolls are
alternally plain and shaped, the plain grooves receiving the flanges of the middle roll.
In making the said top and bottom rolls according to my Invention, I shape all the
grooves so that when the acting grooves of the top and bottom rolls have become
worn, it is only necessary to reverse their position, that is, to put the top roll
bottom and the bottom roll top, to bring into use the unused grooves.
reversed top and bottom rolls are used in conjunction with a spare middle roll.
By my improvement the top and bottom rolls last twice as long as top and bottom
rolls of the ordinary kind, and the strength of the roll is not reduced as by
returning the grooves as commonly practised.
The
The top and bottom rolls may be grooved, so that when their position is
reversed, and a spare middle roll employed, they will produce rails or bars having
the same or two or more different sections.
My improvements relate, secondly, to chilled rolls commonly used in rolling
sheets of iron, steel, or other metals.
By the heating to which they are exposed in use, and the consequent unequal
expansion of the outer and inner portions of the said rolls, they are very liable to
fracture, and the object of this part of my Invention is to remedy this defect. For
this purpose I cast in the rolls an axial hole of as large diameter as is compatible
with the required strength in the rolls. This hole passes through the rolls and
their necks from end to end of the casting, and is of the same diameter throughout.
The neck or necks of the bottom roll may have internal flutes for the purpose of
[Price 10d71

page_text: driving them, and the necks of the top roll may either be fluted or plain, according
as it is to be driven directly or by the friction of the bottom roll. These flutes
may be continued all through the interior of the roll when it is required to
strengthen the roll. I sometimes chill the rolls internally, in which case I prefer
to leave the neck at one end unfluted for the purpose of facilitating the withdrawal 5
of the core bar used to effect the chilling. The internal chill may either be hard or
mild chill.
By the construction described the temperature of the roll internally can be con-
trolled, and the unequal expansion of the inner and outer parts wholly or in part
prevented. The large axial hole in the roll permits of the passage through the roll 1
of a copious current of air, and in extreme cases of the introduction of water.
The said large hole also permits the use of gas or other flames in the interior of
the roll, for the purpose where requisite of heating the interior.
In order to prevent the too rapid cooling of the exteriors of the rolls, after the
rolling of heated sheets has been discontinued, I employ gas or other flames to 1
supply such an amount of heat to the rolls as will cause their exteriors to cool
slowly, and thereby avoid the tension consequent upon the rapid cooling of the
exteriors of the rolls.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd February 1882.
THOMAS BROWN, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Roll Turner. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN ROLLS."
My improvements have reference, first, to rolls working three high, and used for
rolling rails for railways and other like purposes.
As the said rolls are ordinarily made, the grooves in the top and bottom rolls
are alternally plain and shaped, the plain grooves receiving the flanges of the
middle roll. In making the said top and bottom rolls according to my Invention,
I shape all the grooves, so that when the acting grooves of the top and bottom
rolls have become worn, it is only necessary to reverse their position, that is, to put
the top roll bottom and the bottom roll top, to bring into use the unused grooves.
The reversed top and bottom rolls are used in conjunction with a spare middle
roll. By my improvements the top and bottom rolls last twice as long as top and
bottom rolls of the ordinary kind, and the strength of the roll is not reduced by
the method commonly practised of returning the grooves.
The top and bottom rolls may be grooved, so that when their position is
reversed, and a spare middle roll employed, they will produce rails or bars having
the same or two or more different sections.
Figure 1 represents in elevation a set of three high rolls constructed according to
this part of my Invention for rolling a railway bar, having the sectional form
shown in the enlarged view, Figure 3. Figure 2 represents the spare middle roll
which I use with the reversed top and bottom rolls, as hereinafter explained.
a, b, c, are the three high rolls, the top roll a making a pair with the middle
roll b, and the bottom roll c making a pair with the said middle roll b, as is well
understood.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 1, that all the grooves of the three
rolls a, b, c, are shaping grooves, that is, they are formed to roll a bar passed
between them instead of the grooves in the top and bottom rolls being formed
alternally plain and shaped as usual.
In working the rolls the bar of steel or iron is passed in succession through the
grooves in the rolls marked respectively e, f, g, h, and i, that is, the bar is first
passed through the groove e in the bottom and middle rolls c, b, next through the
groove fin the top and middle rolls a, b, next through the groove g in the bottom
and middle rolls, next through the groove h in the top and middle rolls, and finally
through the groove i in the bottom and middle rolls.
A spare groove k is made beside the groove f, and also a spare groove / beside
the last groove i
When the grooves of the rolls have become worn or not true to section, the top
and bottom rolls a, c, are reversed, the top roll a being now used as the bottom
roll, and the bottom roll c being now used as the top roll with the clean or unworn
spare middle roll d, Figure 2, between the reversed top and bottom rolls. The
rolls thus reversed and provided with the spare middle roll are now fitted to
repeat the rolling of the same sectional bars in a clean set of grooves, and the cost
of returning the rolls which is necessary in using rolls of the ordinary kind is con-
siderably reduced, as the rolls constructed and used according to my Invention
only require returning half as often as ordinary rolls. Hence the durability of the
rolls is much increased, and by the use of the spare middle roll as described, the
diameters of the rolls are relatively kept as required.
Figure 4 represents in elevation a set of three high rolls, and Figure 5 the spare

page_text: inidale roll constructed according to my Invention to be used for rolling four
railway bars, having the sections represented in the enlarged views, Figures 6, 7, 8,
and 9.
The three rolls a, b, c, as arranged in Figure 4, are fitted to roll the bars
represented in Figures 6 and 9. To roll the railway bar, Figure 6, the bar of steel
or iron is passed in succession through the grooves marked e, f, g, h, and i, and to
roll the railway bar, Figure 9, the bar of steel or iron is passed in succession
through the grooves marked k, l, m, and n.
In order to roll the railway bars, Figures 7 and 8, I replace the middle roll b,
Figure 4, by the spare middle roll d, Figure 5, and reverse the rolls a and c,
Figure 4; that is, the top roll a forms the bottom roll of the set, and the bottom
roll c forms the top roll of the set. The grooves in the rolls thus arranged for
rolling the bar, Figure 7, are marked p, q, r, 8, and t, the bar being passed in
succession through the said grooves p, q, r, 8, and t, and the grooves for rolling the
bar, Figure 8, are marked u, v, w, and x, the bar being passed in succession through
the said grooves at u, v, w, x.
Figure 10 represents in elevation a set of three high rolls, and Figure 11, the
spare middle roll to be used for rolling railway bars having the sectional forms
represented in Figures 12 and 13.
When the rolls are arranged, as in Figure 10, they are fitted to produce the
railway bar, Figure 12, the bar of steel or iron being passed in succession through
the grooves e, f, g, h, and i; and to produce the railway bar, Figure 13, the top
and bottom rolls a, c, are reversed, and the spare middle roll d, Figure 11, used
with the reversed rolls a, b. In rolling the bar, Figure 13, by means of the rolls
arranged as last described, the bar of steel or iron is passed in succession through
the grooves in the rolls marked k, l, m, n, p.
In working these rolls the bar is turned over as it passes from groove to
groove.
These set of rolls may be provided with broad steadying grooves between those
parts of the rolls in which the grooves at h, i, are made to keep the rolls steady;
but in case the groove h should wear too wide and unfit the bar rolled by it to be
passed through the other or last groove i, the said steadying grooves may be formed
into shaping grooves to narrow the bar and fit it for passing through the following
groove.
Instead of reversing the top and bottom roll, as described, the bottom roll may
be made to work top, and a spare bottom roll be used in conjunction with the
reversed bottom roll and a spare middle roll; or the top roll may be made to work
bottom in conjunction with a spare middle roll and a spare top roll, but I
prefer to arrange and use the rolls in the manner before described and illustrated.
I have not thought it necessary to show what are commonly known as bolting
rolls or preparing rolls in connection with my improvements, as the said bolting or
preparing rolls may be such as are ordinarily used.
My improvements may be applied to the rolling of bars of various sections and
for various purposes.
Figure 14 represents in elevation a set of three high rolls constructed according
to my Invention for rolling girders having the sectional form represented in
Figure 15. The three rolls of the set are marked respectively a, b, and c. I form
the preliminary or first shaping grooves of the rolls of the angular figure repre-
sented, so that there is provided a large bell mouth opening for the rolling of the
flanges of the girder, as will be understood by an examination of the grooves Z
and m at the left hand side of the rolls.
By reference to the groove it will be seen that a bell mouth is provided for the
flange ate of the girder, and a similar bell mouth for the flange at fon the opposite
side of the girder. By means of these bell mouths I am enabled readily to thin
the said flanges at e, f, of the girder by the displacement of the metal at the parts
or roots g, h, of the girder under operation, the said displacement feeding the
flanges at e, f, for lengthening the same.

page_text: In passing the girder through the second groove marked m in the rolls, the bell-
mouth parts of the groove now operate upon the other flanges at e, f, of the
girder, and the metal at the roots or parts g, h, of the girder feed the flanges at e, f,
in the said second groove, and as the partially made girder passes through the
other grooves n, p, of the rolls, the action of the inclined parts of the grooves upon
the girder is repeated in the manner described with respect to the first and second
grooves and m.
In working these rolls the girder is passed in succession through the
grooves l, m, n, p, q, r, and 8.
The groove prepares the girder for the straight
grooves r, s, that is, brings the flanges of the girder parallel. The parts of the
rolls marked t, u, which are left blank in the Drawing, may be provided with
grooves for rolling other thicknesses of girders.
Although I have represented the bell mouth or inclined parts as applied to each
of the preparing grooves of the rolls, and described the girder passed through each
groove, yet the girder may be rolled in the following manner :-That is, after
passing the girder through the bottom groove l, it may be passed back through
the top groove p instead of through the top groove m opposite the first bottom
groove, and returned through a bottom groove in another portion of the rolls
instead of through the bottom groove marked m. By thus passing the girder
through alternate grooves instead of through opposite top and bottom grooves, the
rolls may be reversed for rolling other thicknesses of girders.
The angular grooves represented may also be applied to rolls working two
high.
Rolls having angular or bell mouth grooves of the kind described are particularly
applicable to the rolling of deep and thin girders, the grooves of the rolls effecting
the rolling of the girders with great facility and with great economy.
My improvements relate, secondly, to chilled rolls commonly used in rolling
sheets of iron, steel, or other metals.
By the heating to which they are exposed in use, and the consequent unequal
expansion of the outer and inner portions of the said rolls, they are very liable to
fracture, and the object of this part of my Invention is to remedy this defect. For
this purpose I cast in the rolls an axial hole of as large diameter as is compatible
with the required strength in the rolls. This hole passes through the rolls and their
necks from end to end of the casting, and is of the same diameter throughout.
The neck or necks of the bottom roll may have internal flutes for the purpose
of driving them, and the necks of the top roll may either be fluted or plain,
according as it is to be driven, directly or by the friction of the bottom roll. These
flutes may be continued all through the interior of the roll when it is required to
strengthen the roll. I sometimes chill the rolls internally, in which case I prefer
to leave the neck at one end unfluted, for the purpose of facilitating the withdrawal
of the core bar used to effect the chilling. The internal chill may either be hard or
mild chill.
By the construction described the temperature of the roll internally can be
controlled, and the unequal expansion of the inner and outer parts wholly or in
part prevented. The large axial hole in the roll permits of the passage through
the roll of a copious current of air, and in extreme cases of the introduction of
water.
The said large hole also permits the use of gas or other flames in the interior of
the roll, for the purpose where requisite of heating the interior.
In order to prevent the too rapid cooling of the exteriors of the rolls after the rolling
of heated sheets has been discontinued, I employ gas or other flames to supply
such an amount of heat to the rolls as will cause their exteriors to cool slowly, and
thereby avoid the tension consequent upon the rapid cooling of the exteriors of
the rolls.
This part of my Invention may be applied to solid chilled rolls, as well as to
hollow chilled rolls of the construction described.
Figure 16 represents in side elevation, and Figure 17 in end elevation, a chilled

page_text: roll made according to my Invention. Figures 18 and 19 represent another chilled
roll made according to my Invention, and Figures 20 and 21 represent another
chilled roll made according to my Invention. In the said Figures the large axial
hole in the rolls is marked a, the said hole passing through the said rolls and their
necks from end to end as represented.
In Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 the large axial hole has a fluted Figure, and in
Figures 20 and 21 the large axial hole has a cylindrical Figure.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention of "Improvements in Rolls,"-
First. The construction and combination of rolls working three high herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4; 5, 10, and 11 of the accom-
panying Drawings, whereby by reversing the position of the top and bottom
rolls and using a spare middle roll the set of rolls last much longer than rolls of the
ordinary kind, and are not weakened by the returning necessary in rolls made and
used in the ordinary way, the said rolls constructed and used as described being
fitted to roll either bars of the same section or bars of different sections, substantially
as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The reversing of the position of the bottom roll of a set of three high
rolls, so as to make the said bottom roll the top roll and combining with the said
top roll a spare middle roll and a spare bottom roll, or reversing the position of the
top roll so as to make it the bottom roll, and combining with the said bottom roll
a spare middle roll and a spare top roll, as herein before described.
Thirdly. The construction of the grooves of a set of three high rolls or a pair of
rolls for rolling girders, in the manner herein before described and illustrated in
Figure 14 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. The improvements in chilled rolls herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, making in the said rolls a large axial hole, either cylindrical or
fluted for facilitating the production of a nearly uniform temperature throughout
the substance of the roll either by heating or cooling, and thereby preventing or
diminishing the liability to fracture in the roll.
Lastly. The employment of gas jets for heating the exterior of solid or hollow
chilled rolls to prevent the too rapid cooling of, and the consequent tendency to
fracture of the said rolls, as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Brown, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,
Birmingham.
THOMAS BROWN. (L.S.)