IMPROVE- MENTS IN COATING SHEETS OR PLATES OF METAL AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Clement Crowther, Thomas Millington
Morgan, and Jabez Morgan, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 14th March 1877.
CLEMENT CROWTHER and THOMAS MILLINGTON MORGAN, both of Stour Vale Iron
Works, Kidderminster, in the County of Worcester, Iron and Tin Sheet Manu-
facturers, and JABEZ MORGAN, of Kidderminster aforesaid, Mill Manager. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COATING SHEETS OR PLATES OF METAL AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN,"
Our Invention relates to improvements in the process and apparatus for coating
sheets of iron and other metals with tin, lead, or an alloy of lead and tin, or other
metals, whereby the metal sheets to be coated are more effectually and evenly
covered, the coating metal being distributed in one uniform thickness over the
whole surface of the sheets so coated, a great saving of time, labour, and expence
being effected.
It has been the practise heretofore, after pickling and washing the sheets or plates
of iron or other metal to be coated, to immerse them in a warm pan of grease
technically called the "cold pan," instead of which we place the sheets or plates in
a hot-air chamber for the purpose of absorbing or evolving all moisture or dampness
that may be left on them before immersing them in a bath of chloride of zinc, from
which we restore them to the hot-air chamber to take all moisture therefrom; we
then either put the sheets or plates direct into the coating metal pot, with sufficient
grease or flux upon its surface, or (as usually done) immerse them in the cold pan,
and then put them into the coating metal pot.
The apparatus necessary for giving effect to our said improvements consists in a
rectangular horizontally fixed pot, sufficiently long and deep to enable us to coat
sheets or plates of any required length or width; the said pot in a transverse
sectional form is broad at the top for receiving finishing rollers, with short lateral
rollers to prevent lateral deflection of the long rollers which work below the upper
surface of the pot, below which the pot narrows gradually down to about one-half
its depth, and then descends parallel to the bottom, leaving an opening at the end
or side (whichever may be most convenient) to remove the excess of metal taken
from the sheets or plates. On the front side of the pot near the top (and either
FD

page_text: inside or outside, as most convenient) we apply a longitudinal shaft working in
journies, and to this shaft external weighted levers are secured, which are connected
with and give motion to internal guide levers, of which there may be any necessary
number, the use of which is to form guides for receiving the sheet or plate in an
edgewise position, and guiding it down to the bottom of the pot to rest in a cradle,
when the outside balance weights will correct the position of the internal levers,
causing them to bear against the top edge of the said sheet or plate so as to keep it
in a vertical position, in which position. it is raised by vertical rods or chains con-
nected with the cradle at the bottom, which is suspended to two levers working on
the axis or shaft first described; the said levers extend sufficiently over the pot that
by means of a weight suspended thereon a counterpois is created for elevating the
sheet or plate to the bite of the longitudinal finishing rollers first referred to, from
whence it is easily removed, the cradle being raised any additional height required
by means of screws. The motive power of the said finishing rollers is derived
from compound right and left worm wheels with which the rollers are connected by
short spindles or couplings.
Suspended to the axis of each finishing roller is a pendent receiver that collects
the surplus coating metal, which is removed from the surface of the sheet or plate
under operation by the action of such rollor, the coating metal by reason of its
gravity falling from the surface of the roller into the receiver, which performs a
double duty of catching the surplus metal from the sheet or plate and feeding the
surface of the rollers. These receivers are constructed with hollow chambers at the
bottom, through which hot blast is driven in a highly rarefied condition to maintain
the metal in a higher degree of heat than the surrounding flux or grease.
The advantages resulting from our said Invention are,-
First. That by immersing the sheets or plates in chloride of zinc they acquire
greater affinity for the coating metal, whereby the sheets or plates are not only
more perfectly coated, but a great saving of time is effected.
Secondly. The sheet or plate, coming through the rollers lengthwise instead of
endwise in the ordinary manner, has one uniform thickness of coating metal over
the whole of its surface, and not having so far to travel a much greater quantity of
work can be effected in a given time.
Thirdly. The pendent receivers keep up a constant supply of coating metal at a
high temperature, whereby the rollers working therein are prevented becoming dry,
and the metal is maintained in a fluid state.
Lastly. The compound right and left worm wheels supply a continuous, steady,
and uniform motion to the rollers, whereby the jerky or wavy motion incident to
cog wheels is avoided.