IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL CASTINGS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Edward Vickers, of Sheffield, in the County
of York, Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF STEEL CASTINGS."
Sealed the 17th January 1865, and dated the 14th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Edward Vickers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th November 1864.
I, THOMAS EDWARD VICKERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVERENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL CASTINGS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the manufacture of steel castings relates
more particularly to casting heavy masses of steel, such as wheel tires, gun
blocks, crank axles, and other masses.
The object of the Invention is to prevent the formation of large crystals
which are objectionable in steel castings. To this end when the metal has
been poured into the mould, or while it is being poured in, motion is imparted
to the mould, so that the metal being in a molten or liquid state is kept in
continual motion or agitation. I do not confine myself to any particular
motion, but I prefer an oscillating, reciprocating, or rocking motion whereby
the liquid metal will be gently agitated or moved in the mould. When the
article to be cast is circular, such as railway wheels or tires, an oscillating or
rocking movement of the mould will be found sufficient to set the molten

page_text: metal in motion, and thereby prevent the formation of large crystals. For
some articles an intermittent circular motion will be preferable, while for others
a reciprocating movement will answer the purpose. Other motions or com-
pound movements may be advantageously employed in some instances. The
particular motion to be used for the purpose of my Invention must therefore
be left to the discretion of the manufacturer.
The most convenient method of carrying out my Invention is to mount or
place the mould on a frame to which the required motion can be imparted either
by the hand of the workman, or by mechanical means, such as by the use of
n crank, excentric, or other equivalent mechanism, and this motion may, if
desired, be continued until the metal is quite set.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Edward Vickers in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
EDWARD VICKERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Edward Vickers, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Edward Vickers, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Edward Vickers, 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 Invent
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL CASTINGS,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Edward Vickers, 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 .per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the dato of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Edward Vickers, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, 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):
My Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel Castings,"
relates more particularly to casting heavy masses of steel, such as wheel tires,
gun blocks, crank axles, and other masses.
. The object of the Invention is to prevent while the metal is cooling the
formation of large crystals which are objectionable in steel castings. To this
end when the metal has been poured into the mould, or while it is being
poured in, motion is imparted to the mould so that the metal being in a
molten or liquid state is kept in continual motion or agitation. I do not
confine myself to any particular motion, but I prefer an oscillating, recipro-
cating, or rocking motion, whereby the liquid metal will be agitated or moved
in the mould. When the article to be cast is circular, such as railway wheels
or tires, an oscillating or rocking movement of the mould will be found
sufficient to set the molten metal in motion, and thereby prevent the formation
of large crystals. For some articles an intermittent circular motion will be
preferable, while for others a reciprocating movement will answer the purpose.
Other motions or compound movements may be advantageously employed in
some instances. The particular motion to be used for the purpose of my
Invention must therefore be left to the discretion of the manufacturer.
The most convenient method of carrying out my Invention is to mount or
place the mould on a frame, to which the required motion can be imparted
either by the hand of the workman, or by mechanical means, such as by the
use of a crank, excentric, or other equivalent mechanism, and this motion may
if desired, be continued until the metal is quite set."
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two modes of actuating the
mould so as to keep the molten metal in motion while cooling.
Fig. 1 represents in elevation a mould suitable for casting steel tires for
locomotive engines and carriages. The frame of the mould is provided with
a centre pin, whereby it is mounted in horizontal bearings, so that it may be
made to oscillate or rock thereon when the crank a is put in motion. By this
means a vibrating, oscillating, or reciprocating circular motion is communicated
to the mould, and by thus keeping the molten metal in constant agitation
white cooling, the formation of large crystals will be effectually prevented.
Instead of the mould being mounted on horizontal bearings as shewn, and
rocked on a vertical plane, it will be found more convenient and preferable

page_text: for some cases, such for instance, as cast steel ordnance to mount the mould
so that a reciprocating circular motion in a horizontal plane may be "com-
municated to it by a crank and rod, or other suitable mechanism, when the
molten metal will be kept in constant agitation, and the same effect will be
produced as in the former instance.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of another mode of communicating motion to the
mould, and thus agitating the molten metal. In this instance the mould A
is placed on a carriage B mounted on wheels which run on rails. The carriage B
is connected by a rod 6 to the crank c, and when the latter is set in motion a
rectilinear reciprocating motion on the rail is communicated to the carriage
and mould, and the molten metal will be kept in agitation by being thrown
first against one side, and then against the other side of the mould, and the
formation of large crystals will be thereby prevented.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the manufac-
ture of steel castings, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as of my Invention communicating to moulds while
the metal therein is in a liquid state any suitable motion whereby the molten
metal may be kept in a constant state of agitation or motion while cooling, or
until it is set or solidified, the object of my Invention being the prevention of
the formation of large crystals in the body of the casting.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Edward Vickers, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
WM. G. COOLEY,
of 4, Oxford St.,
Sheffield.
T. EDWARD VICKERS. (L.S.)