IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIALS USED IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUCH PRODUCTION, APPLICABLE ALSO IN THE FORMATION OF OTHER CYLINDRICAL VESSELS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Windle, of Moston, in the County of Lancaster,
Contractor, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS
AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIALS USED IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION,
AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUCH PRODUCTION, APPLICABLE ALSO IN THE
FORMATION OF OTHER CYLINDRICAL VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Windle at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1880.
JOHN WINDLE, of Moston, in the County of Lancaster, Contractor. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIALS USED IN
THEIR CONSTRUCTION, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUCH PRODUCTION, APPLICABLE
ALSO IN THE FORMATION OF OTHER CYLINDRICAL VESSELS."
My Invention relates to cylindrical steam generators, or to generators having
cylindrical shells or flues, and has for its principal object to obtain an increase in
strength or resistance. The shells of steam generators are ordinarily formed of plates
bent into the required shapes, and connected together by means of longitudinal and
circumferential lines of rivets. The longitudinal seams or connections are great
sources of weakness. To avoid these seams I form the shells of the generator by
connecting together a number of rings of metal, each ring being formed by a rolling
operation from an ingot of steel, or from a bloom or mass of metal in a similar
manner as when rolling railway tires, the ring being formed without a joint, seam,
or weld. I roll these rings of a suitable width and thickness, and I connect them
together by means of joint rings produced in the same manner, or by means of
rings bent and welded or simply bent, as preferred; or I roll the rings for the
shell to a conical form, so that the end of one ring can enter a suitable distance into
another ring, or I roll the rings to a cylindrical form, making the alternate rings
larger in diameter than the other and intermediate rings. My Invention is
applicable in the construction of other cylindrical vessels, as, for example, of steam
reservoirs, and of boilers used for various purposes, and in the formation of the internal
flues of steam generators. In the rolling mill which I have devised for use in the
carrying out of my Invention I employ a fixed and movable roller adapted to roll

page_text: the required rings, as, for example, the movable roller may be a plain cylinder and
the fixed roller be provided with top and bottom flanches. The axles of these
rollers are provided with top bearings, and to enable the ingot ring or mass of
metal to be placed in position and the rolled ring to be removed the upper bearing
of the movable roller is arranged to be withdrawn. I prefer to fix or form the said
bearing upon the outer end of a lever or lever fraine which is hinged to a sliding
standard or carriage which is connected with the carriage which carries the said
removable roller, and I prefer to apply a weight to an arm of this lever in order
that it may be quickly moved to raise the bearing from the upper journal of the
said movable roller. The fulcrum of the said lever is so situated as that the bearing
as it rises clears the said journal. I prefer to act upon the said sliding standard by
means of two or more hydraulic cylinders. I employ vibrating frames carrying
supporting rollers, but, by preference, each frame carries two, three, or more rollers
in place of one, and the upper ends of the studs or shafts are stayed or supported.
I connect a number of the carrying rollers by means of bevel or suitable gearing
with revolving shafts so that they assist in the carrying round of the ring. My
improved apparatus is applicable in the rolling or finishing of cast steel rings or
cylinders.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Windle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st April
1881.
JOHN WINDLE, of Moston, in the County of Lancaster, Contractor. * IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIALS USED IN
THEIR CONSTRUCTION, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUCH PRODUCTION, APPLICABLE
ALSO IN THE FORMATION OF OTHER CYLINDRICAL VESSELS."
My Invention relates principally to cylindrical steam generators, or to generators
having cylindrical shells or flues, and has for its object to obtain an increase
in strength or resistance. The shells of steam generators are ordinarily formed
of plates bent into the required shapes, and connected together by means of
longitudinal and circumferential lines of rivets. The longitudinal seams or
connections are great sources of weakness. To avoid these seams I form the shells
of the generator by connecting together a number of rings of metal, each ring being
formed by a rolling operation from an ingot of steel, or from a bloom or mass of
metal in a similar manner as when rolling railway tires, the ring being formed
without a joint, seam, or weld. My Invention is applicable in the construction of
other cylindrical vessels, as, for example, of steam reservoirs and of boilers used for
various purposes and in the formation of the internal flues of steam generators.
In the rolling mill which I have devised for use in the carrying out of my
Invention I employ a fixed and a movable roller or roll adapted to roll the required
rings. The axles of these rollers are provided with top bearings, and to enable the
ingot ring or mass of metal to be placed in position and the rolled ring to be
removed, the upper bearing of the movable roller is arranged to be withdrawn. I
prefer to fix or form the said bearing on the outer end of a lever or lover-frame
which is hinged to a sliding standard or carriage, which is connected with the
carriage which carries the said movable roller, and to act upon the said sliding
standard by means of one, two, or more hydraulic cylinders. I employ vibrating
frames carrying supporting rollers, but, by proference, cach frame carries two, three,
or more rollers in place of one, and the upper onds of the studs or shafts are stayed
or supported. I connect a number of the carrying rollers by means of bevel or
suitable gearing with revolving shafts so that they assist in the carrying round of
the ring. My improved apparatus is applicable in the rolling or finishing of cast
steel rings or cylinders.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I have attached
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings, made to a scale of about half an inch to the foot
and marked with letters of reference. Referring to the said Drawings, Fig. 1
represents a side elevation partly in section, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 an end
elevation of the apparatus which I have designed for use in the rolling of the
metal rings. In the said Figures a is the fixed roll, and b the movable roll. The
roll a is fixed or formed upon a vertical shaft c which is mounted to revolve in
bearings. In the example one of these bearings is formed in or secured to a fixed
standard d which is cast upon the foundation plate e, and the other bearing is
formed on a strong bracket f, which is secured to the underside of the said plate. The
upper end of the shaft is sustained against the rolling pressure by means of a half
bearing which is formed in a piece g which is secured to the top of the standard d.
The shaft c is connected by means of bevel gearing h, with a shaft which is
actuated by suitable means to impart the necessary revolving motion to the roll a.
The roll bis fixed or formed upon a vertical shaft i, which is mounted in
bearings j,j, formed on or fixed to a movable carriage which is formed and fitted
to slide in suitable planed guiding ways formed in the foundation plate e, as seen

page_text: in the cross section Fig. 4. A movable standard is also fitted to slide in a
similar manner in ways formed in the foundation plate, and to this standard is
hinged a forked lever or lever-frame m. The outer end of the said lever is fitted
with a bearing m¹, in which bearing the upper end of the shaft i is seated, whereby
the said upper end is sustained against the rolling pressure, as in the case of the
shaft c.
The sliding standard 1 is connected by means of side bars n with the
carriage, and the said side bars are each formed at one end with tee heads which
enter recesses in the said carriage. In the standard d are scated the cylinders of two
hydraulic rams o, o, which bear by their outer ends against the sliding standard 7.
When liquid is forced into the said cylinders the said sliding standard is caused
to move in a direction towards the right hand in Fig. 1, and in consequence of the
connection with the carriage k the latter is also caused to move in the same
direction, whereby the roll b is caused to approach the roll a. As the fulcrum of
the lever m which carries the top bearing m³ is fixed to the standard / the said
lever moves in unison with the said standard and carriage, so that the efficiency
of the bearing is not interfered with. In the carriage is formed or seated the
cylinder of a hydraulic ram p, which abuts upon the body of a ram cylinder q,
which will be referred to hereinafter, and which is firmly secured to the underside
of the foundation plate c. When liquid is forced into the cylinder of the ram p
the carriage is forced in the direction indicated by the arrow, and in order
that this movement may take place without a corresponding movement on
the part of the standard clearances are formed for the tee heads of the side
bars n.
When the carriage k is so moved the upper end of the shaft i is
released from the bearing m³, and the amount of independant movement
permitted to the said carriage is such as that after such movement the lover m
may be turned upon its fulcrum so as to remove the said bearing and the end of the
said lever out of the way. In order that the lever m nay he readily tilted up it is
formed with a tail which sustains a balance weight m², but if preferred the said
lever may be raised or tilted up by hydraulic power or by other suitable means,
as, for example, a hydraulic rain might act upon a chain which would be attached
by one end to a drum upon the said lever, or might act upon a rack gearing with a
wheel or quadrant upon the lever. The cylinder q is provided with a ram r which
is connected with a sliding cross head s, which in turn is connected by rods s¹ with
the carriage. When the said ram is forced outwards the carriage is drawn in a
direction contrary to the indication by the arrow, whereby the rolls are separated,
and when the tee heads of the bars n take their bearings in the recesses in the
carriage, the standard is compelled to move in unison with the carriage.
ram is used to move the carriage & after the lover m has been lowered, until the
shaft takes the bearing m', and also to move the roll b away from the roll a for
the introduction of the metal to be rolled, and for the removal of the rolled ring.
The various hydraulic cylinders are supplied with water or liquid by means of pipes,
which I have not considered necessary to be represented in the Drawings, and
suitable valves for the control of the flow of such liquid are provided. Upon strong
studs or fixed shafts which are bolted or secured to the foundation plate e are
mounted vibrating frames t, t, each of which is formed with arms which carry a
spindle, upon which is mounted a number of rollers u, there being three such rollers
in each frame in the example. Upon the said frame are formed worm spur quadrants
with which gear worms v, v, which are fixed upon a shaft w, which is mounted in
suitable bearings. The said shaft can be turned by means of a hand-wheel X, and
when so turned the frames t are caused to turn upon their studs or shafts. The
worm teeth on the two frames are made "right and left," so that the two frames
turn in opposite directions, and all the rollers u are thereby moved towards or from
the roll a simultaneously. The top of the plate e forms a level table upon which
the work can be moved, but in order to facilitate the movements of the ring whilst
it is being rolled, I mount carrying rollers y, y², to revolve in recesses or slots in the
said plate, the said rollers projecting slightly above the surface of the plate. The
rollers Y. are provided with extended axles which are connected by means of bevel
The

page_text: gearing with connecting and driving shafts z, which impart positive motion to the
said rollers. In the example the roll a is formed with top and bottom flanches, the
roll 6 being plain, the rolls being suitable for producing plain cylindrical rings
without flanches, but the forms of the rolls will be varied to suit the required
formations of the rings, as hereinbefore mentioned. When operating with the
machine a bloom or ingot of metal is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape, so
that it will slip into position over the roll a whilst the lever-frame m is tilted up
as aforesaid. The said lever-frame is then lowered, and the rams o are forced
outwards, whereby the carriage his moved to force the roll 6 against the inner
surface of the cylindrical mass of metal which is thus nipped between the two
rolls. The roll a is caused to revolve, and the metal is carried round and rolled, the
roll b being forced nearer to the roll a as the operation proceeds. The shaft w is
turned in the direction which will so move the frames tas to bring the rollers u
into contact with the ring being rolled, whereby the said ring is supported and
guided so that its centre is kept in the centre line of the machine, that is to say, of
the two rolls. In the Drawings A represents the ring being rolled.
When the ring
has been rolled until the required diameter has been attained, the operator shuts off
the flow of liquid to the cylinders of the rams o, so as to arrest the sliding move-
ment of the carriage k, and when it is considered that the ring has been sufficiently
rolled, the liquid is admitted to the cylinder q to force outwards the ram 1, whereby
the carriage is drawn back so as to withdraw the roll 6 from the ring. The hand-
wheel is turned in the direction which will withdraw the rollers u from contact
with the ring. Liquid is admitted to the cylinder of the ram p, so as to force
outwards the said ram, whereby the carriage k is moved a short distance in the
indicated direction, and the upper end of the shaft i is thereby moved out of the
bearing m', as hereinbefore mentioned. The lever m is then tilted up, and the ring
is free to be removed from the machine. The upper bearing m³ may be mounted
otherwise than upon a lever, so long as it travels in unison with the carriage k, and
can be moved out of the way. The rolls a and b are arranged to be changeable for
other rolls, so that various forms of rings may be produced. Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate
some of the forms of joints which I propose to obtain by rolling the rings to
suitable forms. In Fig. 5 the ring is supposed to be rolled with a flanch at each
end, so that the rings may be riveted or connected together by the flanches to
produce a boiler shell or a flue or other body. In Fig. 6 the rings are of a slightly
conical form, so that the small end of one ring will enter a suitable distance into
the large end of another ring, or the rings may be cylindrical, each alternate ring
being larger in diameter than the intermediate rings, so that the latter will enter a
suitable distance into the former. In Fig. 7 the rings are formed into cylinders of
uniform diameter, and are connected together by means of joint rings which may
be formed in the ordinary manner, or be rolled in accordance with my Invention,
or be produced by rolling a cylindrical ring and cutting it up into a number of
joint rings. In Fig. 8 the rings are formed to be connected by means of a socket
joint secured by riveting. For some uses the rings may be cut and flattened out
or shaped into flat or curved plates. I do not contine myself to the indicated forms
of rings, as other forms may be produced by the means herein described and
indicated. Any suitable means or method for preparing the ingot or bloom for the
rolling may be used. In the method I have adopted I punch or form a hole in the
ingot or bloom, and introduce a mandril thereinto. The mass of metal with the
mandril in position is then placed under a steam hammer in a swage, which is
formed to confine the metal sideways, so as to produce an extension of the length
under the blows of the hammer, until a rough cylinder of sufficient length is
obtained. In some cases 1 cast an ingot in the form of a hollow cylinder, which,
when necessary, I elongate in the manner indicated.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which I propose to carry the same into practical effect, I would have
it to be understood in conclusion that I claim,―
First. The employment of metal rings, each rolled from one bloom or ingot or

page_text: mass of metal without joint or weld, substantially in the manner herein set forth
and indicated in the construction of the shells and flues of generators, and in the
construction of other cylindrical or partly cylindrical vessels.
Secondly. The combination of parts formed, arranged, and acting substantially
as and for the purposes set forth and indicated hereinbefore, and in and by the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The employment in the rolling of metal rings for the indicated uses of
vertical rolls, one roll revolving on a fixed axis, and the other upon a movable axis,
each roll shaft having upper bearings, the upper bearing of the movable roll being
arranged to move out of the way, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Fourthly. The upper bearing m¹ carried by a tilting lever-frame or by a suitable
frame mounted upon the movable standard or upon a part moving in unison
with the carriage k, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Fifthly. The frames t, each carrying a set of two or more supporting rollers u,
and arranged to be moved substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
Sixthly. Imparting positive movement to the carrying rollers which sustain the
ring whilst being rolled, substantially as set forth and indicated.
And, lastly. The combined hydraulic arrangements for moving the standard
and carriage k to and fro, substantially as set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Windle, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-onc.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
41, John Dalton St.,
Manchester,
(Agent for the Patentee).
JOHN WINDLE. (L.S.)