Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cleaning and Polishing Tinned or other Coated Metal Plates.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cleaning and Polishing
Tinned or other Coated Metal Plates.
We, ISAAC BUTLER, of Panteg House, Steel Manufacturer, and THOMAS JOHN
RICKARD, of Rose Cottage, Mechanical Engineer, both of Panteg near Newport in
the County of Monmouth, South Wales, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of tinned and other coated plates it has been customary after
the said plates are removed from the bath of coating material, to cleanse same
from the palm oil or other flux, by means of lime or bran, we prefer however to
use lime and paraffin, which latter is a new composition in this manufacture in
connection with our invention as hereafter described; the plates are thus cleaned
and then polished. Now the object of our invention is to provide improved means
for cleaning and polishing the said plates all as hereafter described.
According to our invention we provide a rectangular vessel containing lime and
paraffin or other suitable cleaning material, through which the plates to be cleaned
are mechanically caused to pass, and convenient means for effecting this object are as
follows:
According to one arrangement there is provided a vertical open or funnel mouthed
cylinder wherein a screw is caused: to revolve, whereby the cleaning material is
forced down to the bottom of the cylinder and up through pipes each leading to a
slotted chamber through which the plates to be cleaned are caused to pass, the
lime or other cleaning material in such slotted chamber being continually under
pressure therein and regulated by a door with counterweight thereon. The lime is
continually passing up the tubes and out by the door and returns to the cylinder
to be forced up over and over again. The plates may be passed through the chamber
and from one side of the machine to the other by means of rolls or other guiding
devices.
Instead of the cylinder and screw the plates may be passed directly through the
cleaning material by means of a chain travelling round a wheel or wheels at the
lower part of the rectangular vessel and over rollers or wheels at the upper part
thereof. The chain is provided with projections which catch and carry the plates
down through the cleaning material between suitable guides therein, round the wheel
or wheels and up the other side into the polishing apparatus. To prevent the plates
from entering the cleaning machine until the projections on the chain are in the
proper position to receive them, we provide a stop in the entrance shoot of the
machine to prevent the plate to be cleaned entering, until a lever is acted upon by.
one of the teeth of the chain for drawing back the aforesaid stop; and provision is
made for relieving the lever in the event of a plate being caught and retained by
the stop. The plates on issuing from the cleaning machine are guided between
rollers, thence between brushes, the latter having end way movements imparted to
them whereby the brushes are caused' to reciprocate and also caused to be pressed
against one another, so that' as the plates pass between them, these brushies press,
bear, and move on the surfaces, thereof; after leaving' the' brushes the plate is nipped
by a pair of rolls, each of such rolls travelling at different speeds communicated by
gearing for example, or one roll may be made larger than the other, in which case
they might be geared to run at equal speeds, the object being to convey the plate
through and between the rolls while at the same time it is rubbed on its surface
owing to the difference in the circuinferential speeds at which these two rolls revolve:
The plate
now forced between another pair of rolls not geared or driven but
working stiffly on their bearings and so adjusted 'that the plate will be rubbed on its
"

page_text: surface by being forced as it were through what we may call these idle rolls, which
may also have motion endways; the plate is then nipped by another pair of rolls
travelling at different circumferential speeds but which should be the reverse of the
first pair or vice versa, and issuing from the latter the plate is delivered on a suitable
platform. The rolls should be covered with cotton, wool material or sheepskin with
the wool on so as to give the rolls an elastic surface. Although we have described a
series of rolls arranged alternately of a special construction we do not limit ourselves
absolutely thereto, provided the essential features are preserved, neither do we
absolutely bind ourselves to use such series of rolls in combination with the specially
devised cleaning vessels before described.
It is necessary that the plates immediately after being tinned or coated should have
a short time allowed for them to cool previously to being treated by the apparatus
hereinbefore described, otherwise the coating metal thereon would become blurred if
brought into contact with any rough surface.
In order to allow for this cooling of the plates we provide an apparatus consisting
of an endless feeding chain mounted on rollers or wheels and moving very slowly.
This feeding chain is formed with projections of such form that the plate will lie on
each edge so as not to injure the surface thereof and the plates are received upon this
feeding chain on leaving the coating apparatus.
The plates placed on the projections of the feeding chain are carried up, and when
near the top roller of the said chain the upper edge of the plates are supported by
fixed guides. The feeding chain projections pass over the top of the roller and carry
the lower edges of the plates with them and cause such lower edges to fall onto the
projecting hooks of the chain of the cleaning apparatus hereint efore described.
In order to prevent the edges of the plates being injured, or the said plates from
canting over by or during their transference from one chain to the other we provide
guide plates and we arrange the relative speeds of the two chains in such manner that
the projections on the chain of the cleaning vessel will be in position to receive the
plates as they are delivered from the projections of the feeding chain.
Dated this 30th day of May 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cleaning and Polishing
Tinned or other Coated Metal Plates.
We ISAAC BUTLER of Panteg House, Steel Manufacturer, and THOMAS JOHN
RICKARD of Rose Cottage, Mechanical Engineer, both of Panteg near Newport in
the County of Monmouth South Wales, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
In the manufacture of tinned and other coated plates it has been customary after
the said plates are removed from the bath of coating material, to cleanse same from
the palm oil or other flux, by means of lime or bran, we prefer however to use lime
and paraffin in the proportions of about 2 parts of lime to 2 of paraffin or 1 part of
lime to from 8 to 16 parts of paraffin this being a new composition in this manufacture
in connection with our invention as hereafter described, the plates are thus cleaned
and then polished. Now the object of our invention is to provide improved means
for cleaning and polishing the said plates all as hereafter described.
According to our invention we provide a vessel containing lime and paraffin or other
suitable cleaning material, through which the plates to be cleaned are mechanically
caused to pass, and convenient means for effecting this object are as follows:
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation, and Figure 2 is a
vertical section of one modification of machinery or apparatus according to our

page_text: invention for cleaning metal coated plates, in this arrangement there is provided in
suitable framework A, a vertical open or funnel mouthed cylinder B wherein a
screw C is caused to revolve, whereby the cleaning material is forced down to the
bottom of the cylinder B and up through pipes D D each leading to a slotted
chamber E through which the plates to be cleaned are caused to pass, the lime or
other cleaning material in such slotted chamber E being continually under pressure
therein and regulated by a door F with counterweight F thereon. The lime is con-
tinually passing up the tubes D and out by the door F and returns to the cylinder B
to be forced up over and over again. The plates may be passed through the
chamber E and from one side of the machine to the other by means of rolls G or
other guiding devices.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a machine where the cylinder and screw are
dispensed with, and Figure 4 is a partial plan of same. In this arrangement, instead
of the cylinder and screw the plates may be passed directly through the cleaning
material by means of a chain H travelling round a wheel or wheels I I at the lower
part of the containing vessel B and over rollers or wheels I¹ at the upper part thereof.
The chain H is provided with projections H' which catch and carry the plates J to
be cleaned down through the cleaning material between suitable guides J' therein
round the wheel or wheels I and up the other side into the polishing apparatus.
B B are inlet and outlet doors for the cleansing material.
In order to allow for cooling of the plates we provide an apparatus consisting of
an endless feeding chain K mounted on roilers or wheels K'K' and moving very
slowly. This feeding chain K is formed with projections K2 K2 of such form that
the plate will lie on each edge so as not to injure the surface thereof and the plates .J
are received upon this feeding chain K on leaving the coating apparatus.
The plates placed on the projections K2 of the feeding chain K are carried up
past a guide plate K³ and when near the top roller K of the said chain K the upper
edge of the plates J are supported by fixed guides L. The feeding chain pro-
jections K2 pass over the top of the roller K and carry the lower edges of the
plates J with them and cause such lower edges to fall onto the projecting hooks H'
of the chain H of the cleaning apparatus.
In order to prevent the edges of the plates J being injured, or the said plates J
from canting over by or during their transference from one chain K 10 the other H
we provide guide plates K³ L and we arrange the relative speeds of the two chains K
and H in such manner that the projections H¹ on the chain H of the cleaning vessel B
will be in position to receive the plates as they are delivered from the projections K²
of the feeding chain K.
"
In the drawing Figure 3, a sufficient number of the projections H¹ on the chain H
of the cleaning vessel are shown to illustrate their use, and it will be observed that
the plate firstly rests and is supported upon one of the said projections H' until the
surface of the cleaning material is reached. The projection H¹ passes through the
"
material at the same uniform speed but owing to the density of the material
the passage of the plate is retarded and the next projection reaches the upper edge of
the plate and forces it down through the material, round under the wheel and carries
it up to the guide M which turns it over onto a slide N down which the plate
slides by gravity into and between polishing rolls which are in connection with the
machine shown at Figures 3 and 4 and hereafter particularly described.
In the latterly described form of machine it will have been observed that the
plates are forced or pushed through the cleansing material; now in the course of
our experiments we have found that in many cases it has been advisable to provide
some means for relieving the pressure of cleaning material off the plate and especially
when the plates themselves are very thin for this purpose and as is shown in the
sectional elevation of the machine at Figure 5, we curve the arms of the lower
wheel I of the carrying chain H and on the curved arms aforesaid we fix plates or
beaters 12 which as they revolve loosen or agitate or scoop out the cleaning material
and thereby decrease. the density of same. Or instead of driving or pushing the
plates through the cleansing material we pull them through by means of gripping

page_text: appliances applied to the chain or chains H. These gripping appliances are con-
structed in such manner as to take hold of the plates when the latter are placed on
the travelling chains.
T: HUN
For this purpose and as shown at Figure there are fixed at convenient distances
apart upon the chain or chains H, bifurcated projections or brackets H' only a few
of which are shown between which bifurcations there is a binged jaw H2 whereby
each plate is gripped between such jaw H2 and the projection on the chain H or
bracket H. The hinged jaw H2" is provided with a spring prolongation H³ with
roller H at end of same, which roller H during its travel coming in contact with the
box frame B, for example, is closed and grips the plate.
Another gripping device which we have found to work well is fully shown at
Figures 6 to 9, Figure 6 being a front elevation of the grip drawn separately and
on a larger scale than the previous figures, Figure 7 a side elevation of sanie and
Figure 8 a plan of the gripping jaw; Figure 9 shows on a smaller scale a mode of
arranging such clips. There is a bifurcated bracket H', as before, between which
there is hinged a
cam shaped jaw or grip H2 so shaped that the point of contact
between the jaw H2 and the projection on the bracket H¹ is below the centre on
which the jaw H2 turns so that the harder the resistance the stronger the grip
becomes. The cam shaped jaw H2 is kept in its normal closed position by springs H³
on the jaw's axis H³×; the cam shaped jaw H2 is provided with a roller, H which.
when brought by the chain H in contact with a fixed guide effects the opening of the
jaw H2 in order to either receive or deliver a plate. In some cases as shown at
Figure 9 there may be pairs of chains H connected by bars H* and on the bars the
grippers are or may be fixed instead of on the chain itself.
In the examples of machines shown at Figures 3, 4 and 5 the chain H is caused
to descend near one side of the box B to pass round a wheel I and ascend near the
other side; it will be obvious that if instead of employing one or two wheels, such
as I, we employ a greater number, the chain or chains H may according to our
invention be caused to take a more circuitous course; now in the cleaning of coated
metal plates it is in many cases advantageous that each surface of the plates should be
exposed to the pressing action of the cleansing material, while the said plates are
being passed through the box or receptacle B containing the said cleansing material;
for this purpose I so arrange the rollers, round which the carrying chains pass, that
the plates are so exposed to the material that the pressure of same is exerted first on
one side of the plate, and then on the other and this we accomplish by reversing
the sides of the chains exposed to pressure and there are numerous arrangements of
rollers by which this may be done; thus for example in the machine shown in
sectional elevation at Figure 10 the chains H pass down one side of the containing-
vessel, under a roller or wheel I near the bottom, and extend horizontally and expose
one side to the weight of the cleaning material, then pass under a second roller I",
and he returned horizontally or nearly so for a distance, and thus expose the other
side and be guided up by other rollers I¹¹. By suitable arrangements of rollers it is
obvious that numerous changes of surface of the plates carried by the chains may be
obtained without shifting the positions of the plates relatively to the chains, and we
have illustrated in diagram, under Figure 11, a few of these arrangements which are
so evidently clear as not to require further detailed description. At Figure 10
gripping devices are indicated on the chain H similar in construction to those shown
at Figures 6 to. 9, H** being fixed guides, or tappet pieces, whereby the jaws are
opened to admit the plates, which are supplied by such a supplying chain K, as is
shown in the previous figures, the plate is then drawn through the cleansing material
and the gripping device again coming against one of the tappets, is opened and
releases the plate. In the illustration, figure 10, the feeding chain K is shown as
being supplied with plates by means of a travelling rack V hereafter more particularly
described.
If it is found necessary to prevent the plates from entering the cleaning machine,
until the projections on the chain are in the proper position to receive them, we may
provide a stop in the entrance shoot of the machine to prevent the plate to be cleaned

page_text: entering, until a lever is acted upon by one of the teeth of the chain, for drawing
back the aforesaid stop; and provision is made for relieving the lever in the event of
a plate being caught and retained by the stop.
The plates on issuing from the cleaning machine are then introduced into the
polishing apparatus Figures 3 and 4 being guided between wood rollers O, and thence
pass between rubbers or brushes O', the latter having end way movements imparted
to them, by means of levers P, fulcrummed on frame P, and having bowls working
in grooved cam S, mounted on the shaft of the upper roller O; these rubbers inay
be covered with sheepskin. The brushes or rubbers are thus caused to reciprocate
and also caused to be pressed against one another, so that as the plates pass between
them, the brushes or rubbers press, bear, and move on the surfaces thereof. The
rubbers and rollers may be held together by set screws as shown, and separated by
springs T. After leaving the brushes or rubbers the plate is nipped by a pair of
sheepskin-covered rolls, each of such rolls travelling for example at different speeds,
communicating by gearing or belting for example, or one roll may be made larger
than the other, in which case they might be geared to run at equal speeds, the object
being to convey the plate through and between the rolls, while at the same time it
is rubbed on its surface, owing to the difference in the circumferential speeds at which
these two rolls revolve.
The plate may, if desired, or found necessary and according to circumstances, be
forced between another pair of rolls, not geared or driven, hut working stiffly on
their bearings, and not shown in the drawings, and these rolls when employed should
be so adjusted that the plate will be rubbed on its surface by being forced, as it
were, through what we may call these " idle rolls," which may also have motion
communicated to them end ways. The plate is then nipped by another pair of rolls U
travelling at different circumferential speeds, but which should be the reverse of the
first pair or vice versa, and issuing from the latter, the plate is delivered on a suitable
platform. The rolls should be covered with cotton, wool material, or sheepskin
with the wool on, so as to give the rolls an elastic surface. Although we have
described a series of rolls arranged alternately of a special construction, we do not
limit ourselves absolutely thereto, provided the essential features are preserved, neither
do we absolutely bind ourselves to use such series of rolls in combination with the
specially, devised cleaning vessels before described.
It is necessary that the plates immediately after being tinned or coated should have
a short time allowed for them to cool previously to being treated by the apparatus
herein before described, otherwise the coating metal thereon would become blurred,
if brought into contact with any rough surface, and therefore in supplying the plates
to the cleansing machine, we find that it is advantageous to, provide means for
cooling the plates, and for this purpose we construct an endless carrying chain. or
band, mounted on wheels or rollers placed conveniently apart, and on this band or
chain are fixed bars to form a rack for receiving the coated plates. Such a rack is
shown in connection with the feeding chain K at Figure 10, V is the band or chain,
and V₁ are the bars, fixed perpendicular or nearly so to the band V, V² are the
rollers or wheels, on which the band V is carried. The rack receives between its
bars V the plates that have just been tinned or coated, and the said rack receives
a step by step, motion thus: on one side of the feeding chain hooks K2, there is
a projection (shown in dotted lines) which comes into contact with a weighted
lever W, and the projection on the hook K, travelling upwards, forces, the lever W
towards the rack V V', the said lever W coming into contact with the projecting
parts of the, rack V V₁ moves the latter a step forwards nearer to the feeding
chain K, and so, enables the carriers K² to come under each plate in turn and carry
it away.
The lever. W on being released is carried back to its normal position by a weight
or spring, the hinged joint Wx on the lever W, allowing of its passing, under the
projecting part of the rack, that is immediately behind it, and the lever is then ready
for the next action.

page_text: This carrying rack V V₁ may be so arranged as to supersede the employment of
the feeding chain, and acts both to carry and cool the plates, and also to feed them
to the chain or carrier H of the cleansing machine, thus as we have shown in eleva-
tion and plan at Figures 12 and 13 respectively we mount for example on one of
the spindles of the wheels or rollers I a disc X having a radial slot therein provided
with an adjustable pin from which there is a connecting rod X to a rocking arm X'
carrying pawl X³. The plates slide off the carrier bars into the grip of the cleansing
machine devices by gravity as the guide bars of the carrying chain turn over the
end roller and a too early fall of the plates may be prevented by a suitably fixed
.guide.
3
The throw of the pawl lever and consequently the amount of travel of the carrying
chain may
be altered and adjusted to perfectly accord with the chain of the cleansing
machine by shifting the bolt in the radial slot.
The ratchet lever may in some cases he actuated as at Figure 14 by an intermediate
two armed lever X the horizontal arm X' of which is acted upon by a projection on
the chain H of the cleansing machine while the vertical arm X is formed with a slot
in which the pin of the connecting rod X' is fixed the latter actuating the ratchet
lever; the reverse motion is obtained by a counterweight.
Figure 15 shows one arrangement whereby the carrying chain feeds the plates
directly to the gripping devices or pulling jaws previously described. With this
object we bend or crank the extreme ends of the carrying chain bars V' so that when
approaching the delivery end and inclining downwards the plate will not slide off.
Mounted on a fixed axis there is a forked lever W between which the carrying bars
pass and on which they leave the plate; the forked lever W is provided with a tail
piece W which when acted upon by the jaw gripping device throws the plate against
a fixed guide and into the said gripping jaws. The forked lever W is brought back
by a spring or counterweight as shown.
Figure 16 shows another arrangement of the mechanism for feeding and delivery of
the plates; a is a chain wheel gearing into chain H and has a number of teeth that
will bring the levers W in such a relative position with the grip H¹ as to receive the
plate when the said wheel makes a complete revolution.
The rod d is fitted to a crank a¹ on the shaft of the wheel a and the other end of rod
is fitted to a crank W; on the crank a¹ another connecting rod fis fitted the other
end of which actuates the ratchet, friction gear or nipping lever and connected to
wheel fixed on the shaft of the rack wheels V. This mechanism works thus; we will
suppose the wheel a starting from position shown and a plate in position. The
crank a¹ in passing over centre forces the rod d downwards and the lever W will then
be in the position shown in dotted lines, the rod fhas meanwhile been forced back
and carried the ratchet arrangement over two teeth of ratchet wheel, the wheel a has
now made half a revolution and on making the other half the rod d is pulled, which
also pulls crank W* the lever W now being in a position to take up another plate
and the rod has likewise been pulled and the pawl engaging in teeth the rack V' is
pulled forward say a of a circle thus placing another plate in position.
The rod d is set a little in advance of the rod f so as to effectually allow the
levers W to pass under the rack pins V₁. 1 represents the guide plates to open jaws
of grips. 2 the guide plates, to guide plates into the grips; and 3 are bent pins cast
into grip plate at intervals to prevent the outside ends of plates to be cleaned from
bending where not fastened by grips, the cast plate itself protecting the other side.
Figure 17 shows another arrangement which will be readily understood from the
description given in reference to Figure 16; the slots c are for adjustment.
g, or
In some cases a cam arrangement could be designed to actuate these rods, as
indicated at Figure 18 both ends could be hinged to the same end of rocking bar
one at one end and the other at other end, or another rocking shaft can be placed
underneath as shown by dotted lines with one rod hinged to each, thus giving
alternate movements. Weights or springs should be provided for keeping rods in
position.
..

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In cleaning tinned or other coated metal plates, the machinery or apparatus for
communicating to the cleansing composition a circulating motion, and at the same
time retaining it under pressure, while the plates to be cleaned are mechanically
passed therethrough substantially as set forth.
2. In machinery for cleaning tinned or other coated metal plates, the combination
with the pamping or forcing devices, of the slotted chamber E (with its pressure
regulating device F F¹) for containing the cleansing composition, which is under
artificial pressure, and through which the plates are mechanically passed substantially
as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In cleaning tinned or other coated metal plates, the combination with the
machinery or apparatus substantially as herein described, of the cleansing composition,
composed of lime and paraffin as set forth.
4. In machinery for cleaning tinned or other coated metal plates, the composition
container B, in combination with the travelling chain H, provided with projections H',
and guides J', whereby the plates to be cleaned are carried through the mass of the
cleaning composition substantially as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
5. In machinery for cleaning tinned or other coated metal plates, the combination
with the container B, and the travelling chain H, having projections H¹ thereon, and the
guides J, by which the plates are carried through the cleaning material, of the endless
feeding chain K with its carriers K², and the guides K³ and L, whereby the plates to
be cleaned are carried and delivered automatically to the travelling chain H, all
substantially as described and illustrated with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. The combination with the machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other
coated metal plates, as described, of the wheels I provided with plates or beaters I³,
whereby the composition is loosened or agitated all substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with the machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other
coated metal plates, especially as described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11,
of the plate gripping and releasing devices carried by, or mounted on, the chain or
chains H, whereby the plates are gripped, drawn through the cleaning material, and
afterwards released all substantially as set forth.
8. The combination with the machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other
coated metal plates substantially as described, of the travelling rack V V₁, together
with the mechanism for operating same and connected therewith, as set
forth.
9. In machinery or apparatus for polishing tinned or other coated metal plates, the
combination of the polishing and other rolls, travelling at various speeds, with the
reciprocating rubbers or brushes or both combined, substantially as set forth.
10. The machinery or apparatus for cleaning tinned or other coated metal plates, in
combination with the machinery or apparatus for polishing the said plates, all sub-
stantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings,
together with any mere modification or modifications thereof.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1890.
1. BUTLER.
T. J. RICKARD.