AN IMPROVED MANU- FACTURE OF BAR IRON
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clay, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Iron Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANU-
FACTURE OF BAR IRON."
Sealed the 14th December 1855, and dated the 15th June 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clay at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th June.
1855.
I, WILLIAM CLAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MANUFACTURE OF BAR IRON " to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the rolling into a taper form of angle iron or bar
iron which has a hollow or a convex surface or surfaces in cross section, the
object being gradually to decrease the dimensions or sectional area of the bar
from end to end, or from the middle towards the two ends, and thereby to
economize the metal as much as possible..
The Invention, it will be understood, applies to the manufacture of bar iron
which is intended to resist an unequally distributed strain, and according
therefore to the circumstances of the case will the weight and thickness of
the metal be increased or diminished along the length of the bar, the greatest
thickness of metal being retained at the point or points subject to the

page_text: In rolling bar iron after this manner, I propose to employ, by preference,
the machinery for which I obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent, dated
Dec 16th, 1848; and when the iron in passing between the rolls has attained
to its greatest thickness, I withdraw it for the purpose of turning ends, after
which I work up to the same point as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clay, Her special license that I, the said William Clay, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clay, 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 Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF
BAR IRON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Clay, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti
cularly 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 William Clay, do hereby 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
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates to the rolling into a taper form of angle iron, or
Tiron, or bar iron, which has either a hollow or concave or a convex surface

page_text: or surfaces in cross section, the object being gradually to decrease the dimen-
sions or sectional area of the bar from end to end, or from the middle towards
the two ends, and thereby to economize the metal as much as possible.
The Invention, it will be understood, applies to the manufacture of bar iron
which is intended to resist an unequally distributed strain, and according
therefore to the circumstances of the case will the weight and thickness of
the metal be increased or diminished along the length of the bar, the greatest
thickness of metal being retained at the point or points subject to the
greatest strain.
In rolling bar iron according to my present improvements, I propose to
employ, by preference, the machinery for which I obtained Her Majesty's
Letters Patent, dated December Sixteenth, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-eight, and which machinery is fully described in the Specification of
such Patent; but I do not intend to confine myself exclusively thereto, as
doubtless other arrangements of machinery may be devised to effect the same
object.
Bar iron made according to my Invention may be formed of an infinite
variety of sections, according to the various purposes to which it may be
applied, or depending upon the judgment of the engineer, architect, or other
person who may desire to employ the same in constructing vessels or
buildings.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn at Fig. 1 an elevation of a
bar of iron of the section commonly known as T iron, but made tapering
from one end to the other; Fig. 2 is a similar view, in which the taper is
made to commence at or near the middle, and gradually diminish in section
towards both ends; Fig. 3 is another side elevation, in which a portion of the
bar for a certain length is made parallel and the remaining portion tapering;
Fig. 4 is a modification of Fig. 3, the difference being that the central part
of the bar is made parallel for a certain distance and the ends are gradually
tapered off.
It will be observed that in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the taper is on the lower
or flat part of the bar, which gradually increases in thickness and strength
towards the middle, or that part of the bar where there will be the greatest
strain, while the vertical rib or feather remains of the same height throughout.
In Fig. 5, however, this arrangement is reversed, that is, the flat or lower
part of the bar remains of the same thickness throughout, while the vertical
rib or feather gradually increases in height and consequently in strength.
Having shewn various views of T iron rolled upon my improved plan, it
will be obvious to any person practically acquainted with the manufacture of

page_text: ... ניזון.
bar iron that various forms or sections of bar iron may. be rolled taper in the
same way. A few of such forms are given in Figs. 6 to 19.
19.111.
A
Having now described my Invention of." An Improved Manufacture of Bar
Iron," and the means of carrying the same into effect, I claim, in conclusion,
manufacturing bar iron of a hollow or concave or a convex section, or angle
iron, T iron, double-T iron, and single or double grooved or channel bar iron
in a taper form, that is, gradually increasing or decreasing the sectional area
of the bar from one point of its length to another, as above shewn and
described.
. In witness whereof, I, the said William Clay, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
T
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM CLAY... (L.s.)