IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING OR BENDING RAILS, BARS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF STEEL OR OTHER METAL, AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE SAME AND OTHER OPERATIONS UPON AND OTHERWISE DEALING WITH SUCH ARTICLES." PROVISIONAL SPÉCIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Windsor Richards, Engineer, and Samuel Godfrey,
Engineer, both of Middlesborough-on-Tees, in the County of York, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING
OR BENDING RAILS, BARS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF STEEL OR OTHER METAL,
AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING
THE SAME AND OTHER OPERATIONS UPON AND OTHERWISE DEALING WITH
SUCH ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPÉCIFICATION left by the said Edward Windsor Richards
and Samuel Godfrey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
7th July 1880.
EDWARD WINDSOR RICHARDS, Engineer, and SAMUEL GODFREY, Engineer,
both of Middlesbrough-on-Tees, in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING OR BENDING RAILS, BARS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF STEEL OR OTHER METAL, AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE SAME AND OTHER OPERATIONS
UPON AND OTHERWISE DEALING WITH SUCH ARTICLES."
Our Invention has for object improvements in machinery or apparatus for
straightening or bending rails, bars, and other articles of steel or other metal, and in
the arrangement of machinery or apparatus for performing the same and other
operations upon and otherwise dealing with such articles.
In our improved machinery or apparatus for straightening or bending rails, bars,
and the like, we use a series of upper and lower horizontal driven rolls in conjunction
with a series of vertical driven rolls, the whole so arranged that the rail or other
article to be straightened or to be bent, as the case may be, may be caused during one
traverse or passage through the machine to pass, first, between the one series of rolls,
and afterwards between the other series of rolls, in such manner that straightening
in two directions at right angles to one another, or bending in two directions at
right angles to one another may be effected whilst the rail or other article is
travelling in one given direction. In one arrangement of straightening or bending
machine, according to our Invention, a strong metal frame or housing has cast or

page_text: bolted on it brackets to support suitable journals for carrying driving shafts, and
journals of grooved or plain rolls. The driving shaft is furnished with a number of
worms or toothed gear in gear with worm wheels or toothed gear, which drive the
horizontal and vertical rolls. The distance between the upper and lower horizontal
rolls, as also the distance between the two rows or lines of vertical rolls, is
adjustable by screws and worm or suitable gear to admit any section of rail or other
form of bar or analogous article, and to give the camber that may be required
thereto.
In conjunction with the rolls are arranged guide rollers to assist in guiding the
rail or other article to be operated upon as it passes through the machine.
The mode of straightening or bending is as follows:-
The rail or other article is first placed between the horizontal rolls; the adjust-
ment is then made-by-the-screws provided for that purpose, so that when the rail
or other article leaves the horizontal rolls it will-be-straightened or bent to the
desired radius, and thence it passes onto and between the vertical rolls, wherein a
similar straightening or bending operation to that effected between the horizontal
rolls will be effected in a direction at right angles.
Obviously the machine may be worked so that the rail or other article to be
straightened or bent may be caused to pass, first, between the vertical rolls, and
afterwards between the horizontal rolls.
Also it will be evident that the mode of driving and adjusting the rolls may be
varied without departure from the essential characteristic of our Invention as above
set forth.
In conjunction with horizontal driven rolls and vertical driven rolls for
straightening or bending-rails.or other analogous articles successively in two directions
whilst travelling one way, as above set forth, we arrange-machinery or apparatus
for performing other operations upon and otherwise dealing with such articles,
without the inter-vention of manual labour, as applied to the handling of such articles,
as follows, that is to say -From the second set or series of rolls we cause the rail or
other article to pass onto "live" rollers, worked by suitable gear, and to be thereby
conveyed to a slotting or grinding machine, whereby the rail or other article is
reduced to the precise length required; thence we cause it to be conveyed by
live" rollers to a drilling or punching machine, where it is drilled, punched, or
otherwise treated; thence by "live" rollers it is conveyed to a hydraulic or steam
turning apparatus, whereby its direction is (or may be) changed; and then we cause
it to be conveyed by an endless chain to the inspector's or rail bench, whence it is
lifted by hydraulic or steam apparatus, and either placed on trucks or carried to
stock, the whole of these several operations being performed without intermediate
handling of the rail or other article treated.
$5

page_text: to one of the rolls F³, which by G7 and G³ is geared to F, and this in turn is by G³
and G³ geared to the last roll F. The rolls F and F are respectively capable of
adjustment, which is effected by screws P¹, P¹, worm wheels Q', Q, and worms R¹, R².
Where necessary the adjustable rolls have steel springs (which may bo spiral as
at S, S, or of other form) applied to their bearings to keep them in contact with the
adjusting screws. H, H', H³, are guide rollers to assist in guiding the rail or other
article to be operated upon as it passes into and through the machine.
rollers Hand H2 are adjustable as shown.
The mode of straightening is as follows:-
The
The rail or other article is first placed between the upper and lower horizontal
rolls,-to-which it is guided by the rollers H¹, H; the adjustment of the rolls F¹, F¹,
is then made by the screws provided for the-purpose, so that when the rail or other
article leaves the horizontal rolls it will have been straightened in one direction.
(ie., as seen in side elevation), and from the horizontal rolls it passes to and
between the vertical rolls, wherein a similar straightening operation to that effected 1
between the horizontal rolls will be offected in a direction at right angles
(i.e., horizontally), as bereinbefore defined. Or the rolls may be so adjusted that
the rail or other article will be straightened by passing between the horizontal rolls
and bent by passing between the vertical rolls or vice versa.
Obviously the machine may be worked so that the rail or other article to be s
operated upon may be caused to pass, first, between the vertical rolls, and afterwards
between the horizontal rolla. The driving gear shewn is for straight and cross
strap, but other gear may be employed, or the machine may be worked directly by
an engine. Also, it will be evident that the mode of driving and adjusting the
rolls may be varied without departure from the essential characteristics of our-
Invention, as above set forth, and that the whole of the rolls may be made
adjustable.
In conjunction with horizontal driven rolls and vertical driven rolls for operating
on rails or other analogous articles successively in two directions whilst travelling
one way, as above set forth, we arrange machinery or apparatus for reducing
to length, perforating, and otherwise dealing with such articles, without the
intervention of manual labour as applied to the handling of such articles, as follows,
that is to say :-
From the second set or series of rolls we cause the rail or other article to pass on
to live rollers worked by suitable gear, and to be thereby conveyed to a slotting or
grinding machine whereby the rail or other article is reduced to the precise length
required; thence we cause it to be conveyed by live rollers to a drilling or punching
machine, whereby it is perforated; thence by live rollers it is conveyed to a
hydraulic or steam turning apparatus, whereby the direction is changed, and then
we cause it to be conveyed by endless chains to the inspector's or rail bench, whence
it is lifted by hydraulic or steam apparatus and either placed on trucks or carried
to stock, the whole of these several operations being performed without intermediate
handling of the rail or other article treated.
Fig. 5, Sheet 3, is a side elevation of a plant or combined set of machines for
straightening rails or bars and for otherwise dealing with them according to our 4
Invention.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the same.
The rails from the hot bank 1 are straightened in the machine 2, which is of the
kind already described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Sheets 1 and 2. The
rails are delivered by this machine to the first of several series of live rollers 3, 3, 5
each roller driven through a friction clutch from a short upright shaft actuated
through bevel gearing from a horizontal line shaft beneath, or by other suitable
means, or one roller of each series may be driven through a friction clutch from the
line shaft and may through bevil gear drive a shaft carrying bevil wheels in gear
with each of the other live rollers of the series so as to drive them, the arrangement &
being such that each series of live rollers may be stopped and started independently
of the other series. The rollers 3 of the first and second series convey the rails to

page_text: and between the slotting machines, 4 and 5, by which the rails are reduced to the
required length. The slotting machines employed may be of the known construction
illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 on Sheet 4, in which A, A, are the frames; B is the
crank shaft; C, the cross-head; D, D, are guides for the cross-head; E is the
die plate; F, the stopping gear (used only in the machine at 5, Figs. 5 and 6,
Sheet 3); and G, screw with nuts for holding the rail. To enable the distance
apart of the slotting machines to be adjusted to suit the length of rail the two ends
of which are to be simultaneously operated upon, we mount the one slotting machine
4 on a bed 7 (Fig. 6), along which it can be made to slide and be secured in the
desired position, the live rollers being made to shift, also the bevil wheels on the
line shaft, to clear the slotting head. The slotting machine, illustrated on Sheet 4,
is shewn as arranged to slide on a bed 7, on which it is adjustable by screw 20, or
a rack and pinion may be used. From the slotting machines (Figs. 5 and 6,
Sheet 3) the rail that has been reduced to length is (by the putting in operation of
the appropriate live rollers 3) conducted to and between the drilling machines 8
and 9, whereby holes are drilled simultaneously through the two ends of the rail..
The drilling machines employed may be of the construction illustrated in Fig. 9,
Sheet 5, and Fig. 10, Sheet 6, wherein A is the framing; B, the head stock; C, C,
are the drill spindles; and D is the cramp slide bed. To arrest the rail in the
proper position the drilling machino situate at 9 (Figs. 5 and 6) is provided with a
stop that may be put in and taken out by hand, and be adjusted to a nicety by the
set screw E (Fig. 9), which is below the level at which the rail leaves the machine.
To allow of adjustment to suit different lengths of rail we mount the one drilling
machine on a bed 10 (Fig. 6), along which it can be slid and secured in the required
position, the live rollers, also the bevil wheels on line shaft, being made to shift to
clear the drill head. Fig. 10 shews an arrangement for adjusting the position of
the one drilling machine, G being a screw and 10 the bed on which the machine
slides.
After undergoing the above operations the rails are (by putting in operation the
appropriate live rollers) conveyed on to a combined lift and turntable 11 (Figs. 5
and 6) whereby they are first raised to a position above the travelling endless
chains 12, then turned to a direction at right angles to the direction in which they
have theretofore been travelling; then they are lowered on to a rail bench 14, and
the endless travelling chains 12, which are provided with suitable projections,
slide the rails along the bench 14 into position for examination by the inspector,
and thence by travelling crane 13 they are picked up and conveyed away as
required, it may be to trucks 15 or to stock. The combined lift and turntable 11
may be of the construction illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 (Sheet 7), which may be
worked by hydraulic or steam power. A is the cylinder; B, the ram; C, the table
on which rails are placed for turning; D, the hydraulic or steam valve; E, bovel
gear for turning the table, worked by clutch F driven from shaft G; H, a self
acting lover worked by tappets I for putting the clutch out of gear and shutting
the valve D at every quarter of a revolution. It is to be observed that the
clutch is to be put in gear and the valve opened by a hand lever to be connected
to K.
Figs. 13 and 14, Sheet 8, shew to a larger scale than Figs. 5 and 6 the arrangement
of the endless travelling chains and combined lift and turntable. In these Figures
A is a cross shaft fitted with mitre or bevil wheels for working the turntable 11
through the shaft G and clutch F, as shewn ; 12, 12, are the endless chains, and B, B,
the endless chain wheels.
In some cases it may be found convenient to deliver the rails or other articles
from the drilling or perforating machines by live rollers onto a rail fed at right
angles to that shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, and the rails or articles so delivered may be
moved along such rail bed by endless chains. In such an arrangement the combined
lift and turntable may be dispensed with.
It is to be noted that, although we have illustrated suitable arrangements of
machines for slotting and drilling, and for raising, turning, and again lowering the

page_text: rails or analogous articles onto the rail bench, we do not confine ourselves to the
precise constructions of machines we have shown, as other machines may be
used in carrying out our Invention for slotting or grinding, and for drilling or
punching, and for turning the rails or other analogous articles.
We also desire to have it understood that we do not claim as of our Invention
either the slotting machine or the drilling machine hereinbefore respectively
described, but what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
secured to us under the Letters Patent herein before in part recited is,--
1. Straightening or curving (or straightening in one direction and curving in
another) rails, bars, and the like, by the use of a series of upper and lower horizontal
driven rolls in conjunction with a series of vertical driven rolls, the whole so
arranged-and operated that each rail or other article is, whilst travelling in a
given direction, operated upon, first, by-and-between the rolls of one series, and
afterwards by and between the rolls of the other series, substantially-as-described.
2. Effecting the straightening, reducing to length, perforating, and delivery to
. an inspector's or rail bench, or to stock or trucks, of rails or analogous articles in
such manner as to dispense with intermediate handling of such rails or analogous
articles, substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Godfrey, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.