A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR OPENING OR SEPARATING PLATES OF IRON KNOWN AS 'BLACK PLATE AFTER LEAVING THE BLACK PLATE MILL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Davies, of Britonferry, in the County of
Glamorgan, Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR OPENING OR SEPARATING PLATES OF IRON KNOWN AS 'BLACK
PLATE AFTER LEAVING THE BLACK PLATE MILL.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd February 1874.
I, ISAAC DAVIES, of Britonferry, in the County of Glamorgan,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR OPENING OR SEPARATING PLATES OF IRON KNOWN
AS 'BLACK PLATE' AFTER LEAVING THE BLACK PLATE MILL," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for opening or separating plates
of iron known as black plate after leaving the black plate mill. These

page_text: plates leave the mill in bundles of about 1/8th of an inch in thickness
(more or less), the plates themselves being very thin. On thus leaving
the mill these plates are very frequently found to adhere more or less
firmly together, and have to be opened or separated by force. This
adhesion is caused by their having been overheated in the furnace, or
from other causes, such for example as from various substances sticking
to their surfaces. The opening or separating of the plates has hitherto
been effected by hand labour, and the object of my Invention is to
accomplish the same process in a more efficient and expeditious manner
by machinery.
According to my Invention I pass the bundles of plates through
between a pair or pairs of fluted or toothed rollers, by which means the
plates receive a series of bends or corrugations. They then pass through
between another pair or pairs of fluted or toothed rollers having flutings
or teeth larger or smaller than those on the first pair or pairs of rollers,
and thus the plates receive another series of bends or corrugations.
From the last pair of fluted or toothed rollers the plates pass through
between smooth rollers erected in pairs, by which means they are
straightened, when as a rule they will be found quite separated from one
another so that they will fall apart. This process also effectually loosens
any scale or dirt that may be adhering to their surfaces, and thus greatly
reduces the quantity of acid required in the "pickling" process.
Both the fluted and the plain rollers are mounted in pairs in a strong
frame so that the plates being introduced between the first pair of rollers
will be carried by the rollers right through the machine and passed out
at the other end separated and scaled. Sometimes however plates arc
met with technically known as "stickers," which owing to defective
places in the surfaces of the plates adhere so firmly at such places that
they have literally to be cut open. These when met with in the process
of passing the bundles of plates through my machine are laid aside until,
say, nearly the end of the day's work, when they are treated as follows:-
I fix a strong knife immediately in front of the first pair of fluted rollers,
and having opened one edge of the sticking plates they are placed over
the said knife and their edges brought together on the other side thereof,
and passed in between the rollers, which immediately draw them in and
over the knife, thus effectually separating them.
-

page_text: The said rollers are always erected in pairs, and may be set so as to
carry the bundles of plates through in a horizontal or a vertical line, or
at an angle of inclination, and either. in a straight or curved line. They
are geared by toothed wheels in the following manner:-Supposing
them to be erected in pairs in a horizontal line, and the first toothed
wheel to be attached to the upper of the first pair of rollers, then the
second toothed wheel will be attached to the lower of the second pair of
rollers, the third toothed wheel to the upper of the third pair of rollers,
and so on alternately for the whole series of pairs. These toothed wheels
all gearing into one another and motion being imparted to the first roller
they are all caused to revolve in the right direction without any inter-
mediate wheels.
In the pairs of fluted rollers the one roller is driven by the flutings on
its surface taking into the flutings on the other, whilst in the pairs
of plain rollers the motion of the one is imparted to the other by the
friction of the plates passing through between them.
The space between the rollers in cach pair is made adjustable to allow
of bundles of different thicknesses passing through between them, and
this is effected by screws, springs, or wedges in any convenient and
suitable manner.
The machine is driven direct by a small steam engine, or by pulleys
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Isaac Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
DAVIES, of Britonferry, in the County of Glamorgan, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
b.Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Davies, Her special
license, that I, the said Isaac Davies, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac Davies, my execu-
tors, 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 Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR OPENING OR SEPARATING PLATES OF IRON KNOWN AS 'BLACK
PLATE' AFTER LEAVING THE BLACK PLATE MILL," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Isaac Davies, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 I, the said Isaac Davies, 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) :―
This Invention relates to a machine for opening or separating plates
of iron known as black plate after leaving the black plate mill. These
plates leave the mill in bundles of an eighth of an inch (more or less) in
thickness, the plates making up the bundles being very thin. On thus
leaving the mill in bundles the plates are very frequently found to
adhere more or less firmly together, and have to be opened or separated
by force. This adhesion is caused by the plates having been overheated
in the furnace, or from other cause or causes, such for example as from
various substances adhering to their surfaces. The opening or separating
of the plates has hitherto been effected by hand labour, and the object of
the present Invention is to accomplish the same process in a more
efficient and expeditious manner by machinery.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same with the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters

page_text: marked thereon, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine
constructed according to my Invention; and Figure 2 a plan thereof.
The same letter of reference represents the same part or parts in each of
the Figures.
The bundles of plates A to be operated upon are introduced between a
pair of fluted or toothed rollers B, which revolving in the direction
indicated by the arrows carry the plates through between them and
impart to the plates a series of bends or corrugations; as they issue
from between the rollers B they are directed by guides C to and between
a second pair of rollers D having flutings or teeth of a different size or
placed in a different direction to those on the first pair of rollers. This
second pair of rollers revolving in the same direction as the first pair
carry the plates through and impart to them a second series of bends or
corrugations, and force them on towards a third pair of rollers E,
between which they are directed by guides F; these rollers E revolve
in the same direction as the fluted rollers, and being quite plain straighten
the plates as they carry them through. When the plates leave these
plain rollers they will usually be found quite separated from one another,
so much so as to fall apart. Not only are the plates thus effectually
separated but the process of repeatedly bending them loosens any scale
or dirt that may be adhering to their surfaces, the effect of which is
to greatly reduce the quantity of acid required in the "pickling"
process.
Both the fluted and the plain rollers are mounted in pairs in a strong
frame with side standards G, the bottom rollers being mounted in fixed
bearings H and the upper rollers in movable bearings I, so that the
space between each pair of rollers may be adjusted to allow of bundles
of plates of different thicknesses being operated upon; this adjustment
is effected by means of the screws J, the bearings I resting against
springs K of steel, india-rubber, or other suitable material, against which
the pressure exerted by the passing plates reacts. C₁ is a plate covering
in the front of the machine and forming at the top a table to guide the
introduction of the plates to the first pair of rollers. L is the top gland;
M, the bed plate; N is a small steam engine for driving the machine,
and is fixed on the same bed plate as the machine; O is the crank shaft
of the steam engine, on which is fixed the toothed pinion P gearing into
the driving wheel Q attached to the spindle of the lower of the front

page_text: pair of fluted rollers B; the same spindle carries at its opposite end the
toothed wheel R which gears into a similar toothed wheel S carried by
the spindle of the upper of the second pair of rollers D, and this wheel S
gears into a like wheel T on the spindle of the lower of the third pair of
rollers. By this arrangement of gearing each pair of rollers is caused to
revolve in the same direction without the necessity of employing inter-
;
pair or nuteⱭ rollers í; the same spindle carries at its opposite end the
toothed wheel R which gears into a similar toothed wheel S carried by
the spindle of the upper of the second pair of rollers D, and this wheel S
gears into a like wheel T on the spindle of the lower of the third pair of
rollers. By this arrangement of gearing each pair of rollers is caused to
revolve in the same direction without the necessity of employing inter-
mediated wheels.
The rollers which are always erected in pairs may be set so as to carry
the bundles of plates through in a horizontal or a vertical direction, or
at any angle of inclination found desirable, and in either a straight or
curved line.
In the course of opening or separating the plates what are technically
known as "
stickers" are frequently met with. These are plates which
owing to defective places in their surfaces adhere so firmly at those parts
that they have literally to be cut asunder. These when met with in the
process of passing the bundles of plates through my machine are laid
aside until, say, nearly the end of the day's work, when they are treated
as follows:-I fix a strong knife immediately in front of the line of
intersection of the first pair of fluted rollers and having opened one edge
of the sticking plates they are placed over the said knife and their edges
brought together on the inner side thereof and passed in between the
rollers, which immediately draw them in and over the knife, thus
effectually separating them. The knife may be fixed by any suitable
means.
I do not confine myself to any particular number of pairs of either
fluted or plain rollers, but I have found in practice that three pairs used
as described are usually sufficient. Neither do I confine myself to
making the flutings on the rollers in the direction of their axes as on
those described and illustrated as the same may be formed either at
right angles thereto or at any other angle desired. Also the machine
may be constructed without the steam engine and be driven by strap
and pulley, or other suitable means.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be per-
'formed, I claim as my Invention to be secured by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, the machine for opening or separating plates

page_text: of iron known as "black plate" after leaving the black plate mill,
substantially as herein-before set forth and described, and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Davies, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
JOHN WM. GRAY, C.E.,
Office of Patents,
16, Southampton Bldgs,
W.C.
ISAAC DAVIES. (L.S.)