IMPROVE- MENTS IN ROLLING, SHAPING, OR WORKING METALS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Lismann, of Munich, in the Kingdom
of Bavaria, but at present residing at Kleins Hotel, Finsbury
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROLLING, SHAPING, OR WORKING METALS, AND IN MACHINERY
EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
.
"""
Sealed the 14th March 1871, and dated the 11th January 1871. -
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Lismann at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th January 1871.
I, ABRAHAM LISMANN, of Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, but
at present residing at Kleins Hotel, Finsbury Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING, SHAPING, OR WORKING METALS, AND IN MACHINERY:
EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
'
My Invention has principally for its object to effect by mechanical:
means various processes for working metals which have hitherto only,
been carried out by hand labour, such for instance as the operations of

page_text: thinning down the edges of square or round plates, and the working up
of such edges or of the entire plate to produce flanged, rimmed, or dished
forms. These operations which occur principally in coppersmiths' work,
are now effected by hand, as follows:-For thinning down and drawing
out the edges of circular plates, these are subjected to a series of hammer
blows in consecutive rows commencing at the inner circumference of the
part to be thinned down and extending in a tangential direction to the
outer circumference of the plate, for thinning down and drawing out the
edges of square or polygonal plates, these are in like manner subjected
to a series of hammer blows in consecutive rows extending from the
inner portion of the plate in a slanting or angular direction towards the
outer edge. For working up the edges of such plates to form flanges or
rims, the edges are bent up to an angle and are then again subjected to
a similar series of blows in a slanting direction towards the outer edges
of the rims. For working up the metal into dished or spherical forms,
the plate is subjected to a series of concentric rings of blows extending
from the centre of the plate towards the outer edge, such blows being
effected by a hammer head with a spherical or convex surface upon an
anvil having a concave surface.
Now according to my present Invention, these various operations are
performed by mechanical means by substituting for the. consecutive
hammer blows a rolling action produced by rolls having helical or screw
like surfaces so formed as by their rotation to act upon the metal in a
series of consecutive cycloidal or tangential lines extending in like
manner to the before described hammer blows, in oblique directions from
the inner towards the outer edges of the parts of the metal plate to be
operated upon. These helical surfaces are formed either convex, concave,
or plane, according as the nature of the work may require, or the surfaces
may be made polygonal or be engraved or embossed with ornamental
designs for ornamenting the plate or other object upon which they act.
The arrangement of machinery for carrying this method of operation into
effect, as also for manipulating the plate under operation, is susceptible of
various modifications according to the nature of the work to be performed;
thus for thinning down and subsequently working up the edges of a
circular plate into the form of a rim, I arrange a pair of rolls having the
aforesaid helical or screw like working surfaces upon the overhanging
ends of two shafts carried in suitable bearings in headstocks or framing,
and adjustable towards each other by adjusting screws or by other means..
1.

page_text: The plate to be acted upon is carried at its centre by a stirrup frame
rendered adjustable to and from the rolls by being carried by a slide rest
which may be made to assume any desired angular position relative to
the axis of the rolls (for bending up the rim of the plate) by turning.
upon a centre fixed to the headstocks of the rolls. A counter pressure
roller is applied to the back surface of the plate during the process of
turning up the rim, such roller being carried by a cranked spindle
turning with the slide rest so as to keep the roller against the surface of
the plate as the bending up proceeds. For the adjustment of the rolls
towards each other the shaft of the one roll may conveniently be carried
by a frame, the back end of which is hinged to the framing of the other
roll while the front end slides in grooves in the headstocks and is acted
upon by the adjusting screw before mentioned. The rim of the plate
being introduced between the helical rolls, and rotary motion being
imparted to the latter, they are caused to act upon the said rim in a
series of cycloidal or tangential lines extending from the inside of the
plate to the outer circumference thereof, as before described, the plate
being at the same time caused by this action to revolve upon its centre
where it is held by the stirrup frame. When the thinning and bending
down of straight edges only of plates has to be effected, the frame or
carriage carrying the plate is guided in a groove or on rails in á direction
at right angles to the axes of the rolls.
For thinning down the edges of a rectangular plate with rounded
corners (such as are used for locomotive fire-boxes) and at the same.
time turning up such edges to form a rim, an arrangement of helical
rolls similar to that above described is employed, but the plate is in this
case carried by a stirrup frame, to the under side of which is attached a
template having such a configuration that in moving the stirrup frame
with the plate so as to bring the latter under the action of the rolls the
edge of the template is brought against a projecting circular rim on the
one roll, and is thereby made to regulate the action of the rolls upon the
plate so as to produce the required configuration of the latter. The
stirrup frame with its template is supported upon a number of spherical
rollers carried by a bed plate hinged to the framing of the rolls and
capable of being actuated by a toothed quadrant and gearing so as to
assume any desired angular position relative to the axes of the rolls
according to the angle to which the rim of the plate requires to be bent.
up by the latter, and counter-pressure rollers (which may be carried.in

page_text: .
a plate fixed to the outer end of the axis of the one roll) are made
to act against the outer surface of the plate during the process of
bending down the rim of the plate. The before mentioned spherical
rollers are carried in hollow spherical sockets in the bed plate in which
they are held by screwed rings in such manner as to be free to revolve
in their sockets in any direction according as the stirrup frame is turned.
upon them.
"
In both the above described arrangements the helical surface may
either be formed upon both the rolls or the one roll may be formed with
a plain cylindrical surface, which plain roll may be made of a less
diameter than the other if circumstances should require it. The rolls
may furthermore be formed either with only one helical surface extending
right round the roll, or if the nature of the work requires that the
pitch of the belical surface shall be greater than is obtainable by one
such surface only, two or more helical surfaces of greater pitch may be
formed on the rolls. The rolls may be formed with projecting rims
overlapping each other, so as to act as circular shears for shearing off any
superfluous length of the rim of the plate after it has been drawn out
and turned up as described.
For working a metal plate so as to convert it into a dished or spherical
form, only one such before described helical roll is employed, the other
being replaced by a spherical surface carried by an adjustable hinged
frame (similar to that before described for holding the shaft of the
adjustable roll) the spherical surface being by preference formed by a
metal sphere fitting in a spherical socket in the hinged frame, where it
is held by a screw ring so as to be free to revolve. The helical roll is
in this case formed with a number of separate short helical concave
surfaces, with spaces between them, so that as the joint action of this
roll and the spherical roll has to take place in concentric rings; upon the
plate as before mentioned, the plate may be shifted for this purpose when
by the revolution of the helical roll one of its spaces comes underneath
the spherical roll. For supporting and shifting the plate under operation
it may either be held centrally by a stirrup frame or jaw carried in an
adjustable manner by a hinged slide rest, as in the first described arrange-
ment, or it may be supported upon two inclined bars the lower ends of
which are secured to a' shaft that is capable, firstly, of being adjusted in
a horizontal direction to or from the rolls by adjusting screws, and is also
capable of being turned upon its axis so as to cause the bars to assume

page_text: any desired vertical angle. The acting surfaces of the roll need in this
arrangement not necessarily be formed helical, as their action is only of
a short extent, resembling in fact the hammer blows heretofore employed.
In place of the spherical roll may also in some cases be employed a short
cylindrical roll of small diameter.
In applying my Invention to the reducing, roughing, or 'drawing
out of cylindrical bars or tubes, three or more such before-described
helical rolls are arranged in a circle, and the bar or tube to be acted
upon is introduced into the space between them, and is passed through
in the direction of the axes of the rolls, or two or more pair of such
rolls may be mounted in a similar manner to the rolls of an ordinary
rolling mill and arranged in a line behind each other, and the bar or
plate to be drawn, roughed, or reduced may be caused to pass simul-
taneously through each pair of rolls. I also sometimes arrange one or
more pairs of such helical rolls in a horizontal position and one or more
pairs of vertical rolls before or. behind them.
It will be evident that rolls constructed and operating according to
my Invention may be employed for manufacturing a great variety of
articles. Thus, for manufacturing hoes or adzes, I propose to thin
down a circular plate by the first above-described process, leaving a
thick central boss, and I then cut such plate into a number of segments,
cach having at its end a portion of the boss, which is then formed into
the eye or socket of the hoe or adze.
The three-roll arrangement before described may also, be employed
for drawing out or extending thin metal tubes (such as are employed
for metal cartridge cases), the tube being inserted upon a mandril
between the rolls; other metal tubes may also be operated upon in like
manner.
Such helical rolls of small dimensions may also be employed by metal
workers for drawing brass or other soft metals upon moulds in lathes,.
in place of the ordinary rollers employed for that purpose.
Another application of such helical rolls would be for manufacturing
scamless tubes or cylinders of large diameter, such as are used for
steam boilers; for this purpose a ring or tube of metal is placed over
the one roll, and the other roll being brought down upon it, the rolling
action of the helical surfaces will cause the tube not only to be
cnlarged in diameter, but also to be extended longitudinally. Or the
rolls may be employed for welding-up, the scams of large 'tubes or

page_text: cylinders by arranging the one roll with convex surface upon a framing
inside the cylinder, and while the seam of the cylinder is made to travel
along over such roll the other roll with helical surface is made to act
upon such seam so as to weld it.
When desired the three first described different constructions of rolling
machine's may be combined into one compound machine for effecting
the three different operations. In this case the rolls for working
circular plates, as also for forming the dished or spherical plates would
conveniently receive their motion from the vertical shaft of the rolls
for working angular plates by means of templates. For this purpose
the vertical shaft is provided with a bevil wheel capable of sliding on a
feather on the shaft, in gear with which is a second bevil wheel on the
shaft of the other machine, this bevil wheel being carried by a bracket
that also holds the other bevil wheel, in order that when the shaft of
the roll for the circular plate machine is raised and lowered, the two
bevil wheels may be kept in gear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Abraham Lismann in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM
LISMANN, of Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, but at present residing
at Kleins Hotel, Finsbury Square, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Abraham Lismann, Her
special licence, that I, the said Abraham Lismann, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Abraham Lismann,
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,
•
a

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROLLING, SHAPING, OR WORKING METALS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED FOR
THAT PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Abraham Lismann, 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 performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abraham Lismann, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon;
that is to say :-
My Invention has principally for its object to effect by mechanical
means various processes for working metals which have hitherto only
been carried out by hand labor, such, for instance, as the operations of
thinning down the edges of square or round plates and the working up
of such edges or of the entire plate to produce flanged, rimmed, or
dished forms. These operations which occur principally in coppersmiths'
work are now effected by hand as follows:-For thinning down and
drawing out the edges of circular plates these are subjected to a series
of hammer blows in consecutive rows commencing at the inner circum-
ference of the part to be thinned down and extending in a tangential
direction to the outer circumference of the plate. For thinning down
and drawing out the edges of square or polygonal plates these are in like
manner subjected to a series of hammer blows in consecutive rows
extending from the inner portion of the plate in a slanting or angular
direction towards the outer edge. For working up the edges of such
plates to form flanges or rims the edges are bent up to an angle and are
then again subjected to a similar series of blows in a slanting direction
towards the outer edges of the rims. For working up the metal into
dished or spherical forms the plate is subjected to a series of concentric
rings of blows extending from the centre of the plate towards the outer
edge, such blows being effected by a hammer head with a spherical or
convex surface upon an anvil having a concave surface.

page_text: Now according to my present Invention these various operations are
performed by mechanical means by substituting for the consecutive
hammer blows a rolling action produced by rolls having helical or
screw-like surfaces so formed as by their rotation to act upon the metal
in a series of consecutive cycloidal or tangential lines; extending in like
manner to the before-described hammer blows in oblique directions from
the inner towards the outer edges of the parts of the metal plate to
be operated upon.
These helical surfaces are formed either convex,
concave, or plane, according as the nature of the work may require. Or
the surfaces may be made polygonal, or be engraved or embossed with
ornamental designs for ornamenting the plate or other object upon
which they act.
The arrangement of machinery for carrying this method of operation
into effect, as also for manipulating the plate under operation is
susceptible of various modifications according to the nature of the work
to be performed. Thus for thinning down and subsequently working up
the edges of a circular plate into the form of a rim I arrange a pair of
rolls having the aforesaid helical or screw-like working surfaces. upon
the overhanging ends of two shafts carried in suitable bearings, in head
stocks or framing and adjustable towards each other by adjusting screws
or by other means. The plate to be acted upon is carried at its centre
by a stirrup frame rendered adjustable to and from the rolls by being
carried by a slide rest which may be made to assume any desired angular
position relative to the axis of the rolls (for bending up the rim of the
plate) by turning upon a centre fixed to the headstocks of the rolls. A
counter-pressure roller is applied to the back surface of the plate during
the process of turning up the rim, such roller being carried by a cranked
spindle turning with the slide rest so as to keep the roller against the
surface of the plate as the bending up proceeds. For the adjustment of
the rolls towards each other the shaft of the one roll may conveniently be
carried by a frame, the back end of which is hinged to the framing of
the other roll, while the front end slides in grooves in the headstocks
and is acted upon by the adjusting screw before mentioned. The rim
of the plate being introduced between the helical rolls, and rotary motion
being imparted to the latter, they are caused to act upon the said rim in
a series of cycloidal or tangential lines extending from the inside of the
plate to the outer circumference thereof, as before described, the plate
being at the same time caused by this action to revolve upon its centre
where it is held by the stirrup frame.

page_text: When the thinning and bending down of straight edges only of plates
has to be effected the frame or carriage carrying the-plate in guided in
a groove or on rails in a direction at right angles to the axes of the rolls.
For thinning down the edges of a rectangular plate with rounded corners
(such as are used for locomotive fire-boxes) and at the same time turning
up such edges to form a rim, an arrangement of helical rolls similar
to that above described is employed, but the plate is in this casc carried
by a stirrup frame, to the under side of which is attached a template
having such a configuration that in moving the stirrup frame with the
plate so as to bring the latter under the action of the rolls the edge of
the template is brought against a projecting circular rim on the one roll,
and is thereby made to regulate the action of the rolls upon the plate so
as to produce the required configuration of the latter. The stirrup
frame with its template is supported upon a number of spherical rollers
carried by a bed plate hinged to the framing of the rolls and capable
of being actuated by a toothed quadrant and gearing so as to assume
any desired angular position relative to the axes of the rolls according
to the angle to which the rim of the plate requires to be bent up by the
latter, and counter-pressure rollers (which may be carried in a plate
fixed to the outer end of the axis of the one roll) are made to act against
the outer surface of the plate during the process of bending down the
rim of the plate. The before-mentioned spherical rollers, are carried in
hollow spherical sockets in the bed plate in which they are held by
screwed rings in such manner as to be free to revolve in their sockets
in any direction according as the stirrup frame is turned upon them.
In both the above described arrangements the helical surface may
either be formed upon both the rolls or the one roll may be formed with
a plain cylindrical surface, which plain roll may be made of less diameter
than the other if circumstances should require it.
The rolls may
furthermore be formed either with only one helical surface extending
right round the roll, or if the nature of the work requires that the pitch
of the helical surface shall be greater than is obtainable by one such
surface only two or more helical surfaces of greater pitch may be formed
on the rolls. The rolls may be formed with projecting rims overlapping
each other so as to act as circular shears for shearing off any superfluous
length of the rim of the plate after it has been drawn out and turned
up as described.
For working a metal plate so as to convert it into a
dished or spherical form only one such before described helical roll is

page_text: employed, the other being replaced by a spherical surface carried by an
adjustable hinged frame (similar to that before described for holding the
shaft of the adjustable roll) the spherical surface being by preference
formed by a metal sphere fitting in a spherical socket in the hinged
frame where it is held by a screw ring so as to be free to revolve. The
helical roll is in this case formed with a number of separate short helical
concave surfaces with spaces between them so that as the joint action of
this roll and the spherical roll has to take place in concentric rings upon
the plate as before mentioned, the plate may be shifted for this purpose
when by the revolution of the helical roll one of its spaces comes under-
neath the spherical roll. For supporting and shifting the plate under
operation it may either be held centrally by a stirrup frame or jaw carried:
in an adjustable manner by a hinged slide rest as in the first described
arrangement, or it may be supported upon two inclined bars the lower
ends of which are secured to a shaft that is capable, firstly, of being
adjusted in a horizontal direction to or from the rolls by adjusting screws
and is also capable of being turned upon its axis so as to cause the bars
to assume any desired vertical angle. The acting surfaces of the roll
need in this arrangement not necessarily be formed helical as their
action is only of a short extent, resembling in fact the hammer blows.
heretofore employed. In place of the spherical roll may also in some.
cases be employed a short cylindrical roll of small diameter.
In applying my Invention to the reducing, roughing, or drawing out
of cylindrical bars or tubes three or more such before described helical
rolls are arranged in a circle and the bar or tube to be acted upon is
introduced into the space between them and is passed through in the
direction of the axes of the rolls, or two or more pair of such rolls may
be mounted in a similar manner to the rolls of an ordinary rolling mill
and arranged in a line behind each other, and the bar or plate to be
drawn, roughed, or reduced may be caused to pass simultaneously
through cach pair of rolls. I also sometimes arrange one or more pairs
of such helical rolls in a horizontal position and one or more pairs of
vertical rolls before or behind them.
It will be evident that rolls constructed and operating according to
my Invention may be employed for manufacturing a great variety of
articles, thus for manufacturing hoes or adzes I propose to thin down a
circular plate by the first above described process, leaving a thick
central boss, and I then cut such plate into a number of segments cach

page_text: naving at its end a portion of the boss which is then formed into the eye
or socket of the hoc or adze.
The three-roll arrangement before described may also be employed
for drawing out or extending thin metal tubes (such as are employed for
metal cartridge cases) the tube being inserted upon a mandril between
the rolls, other metal tubes may also be operated upon in like manner.
Such helical rolls of 'small dimensions may also be employed by metal
workers for spinning brass or other soft metals upon moulds.in lathics
in place of the ordinary rollers employed for that purpose.
Another application of such helical rolls would be for manufacturing
scamless tubes or cylinders of large diameter such as are used for steam
boilers, for this purpose a ring or tube of metal is placed over the one
roll and the other roll being brought down upon it the rolling action of
the helical surfaces will cause the tube not only to be enlarged in
diameter but also to be extended longitudinally. Or the rolls' may be
employed for welding up the scams of large tubes or cylinders by
arranging the one roll with convex surface upon a framing inside the
cylinder and while the seam of the cylinder is made to travel along over
such roll the other roll with helical surface is made to act upon such
scam so as to weld it.
When desired the three first described different constructions of rolling
machines may be combined into one compound machine for effecting the
three different operations. In this case the rolls for working circular
plates, as also for forming the dished or spherical plates, would con-
veniently receive their motion from the vertical shaft of the rolls for
working angular plates by means of templates. For this purpose the
vertical shaft is provided with a bevil wheel capable of sliding on a
feather on the shaft, in gear with which is a second bevil wheel on the
shaft of the other machine, this bevil wheel being carried by a bracket
that also holds the other bevil wheel in order that when the shaft of
the roll for the circular plate machine is raised and lowered the two
bevil wheels may be kept in gear.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention I will now
proceed more particularly to describe the manner of performing the same,.
for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying Drawings, on which
are shewn various arrangements of machinery constructed according to
my Invention...

page_text: Figures 1 to 6 shew the application of my improved rolls to tho
thinning down, stretching, and working up of the edges of a plate or
cylinder into the form of a rim or flange. Figure 1 shews a side
clevation of the machine; Figure 2 shews a front elevation; Figure 3
shows a plan, and Figure 4 shews a back elevation of the same.
A., A', are the before described rolls with helical or screw-]
v-like working
surfaces. The shaft B to the lower roll is carried in fixed bearings in
the framing C and is driven by the fast and loose pullies D. It carries
a spur wheel E by which it imparts motion to the shaft B' to the upper
roll through the spur wheel E¹. The shaft B' is carried in the stirrup
frame C', the back end of which is hinged to the framing C at C², while
the front end carrying the front bearing of the shaft can be moved up
and down in the framing C, and thus the roll A' be adjusted farther from
or nearer to the roll A by means of the adjusting screw and gearing F, F¹.
The back end of the shaft B¹ is also adjustable to and from B by means
of the screw G. The plate H to be operated upon (which in this case is
circular) is held centrally in a stirrup frame I, adjustable to and from
the rolls A, A¹, in the slotted rest J, by means of a screw spindle K..
The rest J is fixed to a transverse bearer L turning in bearings at L, L',
and can be made to assume any vertical angle to the axis of the rolls
A, A', by means of the curved rack J' fixed to J in gear with which is.
the pinion M on a shaft M¹ which is turned by the hand wheel N.. The
axial line on which the bearer L turns, as also the outer edge of the
counter pressure roller O contained therein, should lie in one and thic
same line, being a continuation of the line of the upper and outer edge
of the lower roll A. The bearings L' are adjustable by means of racks L²
fixed thereto worked by pinions L. If the plate H is to be thinned
down and stretched on its circumference it is fixed in the frame I so as
to be rotatable therein by means of the holding spindle J', and the
frame I is adjusted to the requisite distance for bringing any desired
width of the rim of the plate under the action of the rolls, after which
these are made to exert the requisite pressure upon the plate by the
screw F (and if necessary by a hydraulic arrangement to be hereafter
described), and the rolls are then caused to revolve in contrary directions,
whereby the plate H is carried round and at the same time is acted upon
by the rolls in a succession of cycloidal lines (being the developement of
the helical surfaces of the rolls) extending from the inner part to the
outer circumference of the plate. In order to efface the more or less

page_text: visible lines of pressure produced by the rolls the plate H should, after
being acted upon as described, be reversed in position in the frame I and
then be passed through the rolls again. If it is desired to form a rin
to the plate II this is brought under the rolls to an extent slightly less
than the desired depth of the rim, and the rest J; together with the
frame I and the plate H, are then turned up to any desired angle by-
means of the rack J' and pinion M. If the plate H is of considerable
thickness it should be prevented from shifting in the stirrup frame I during
the bending up by forming a small central hole in the plate into which
the end of the holding spindle J' fits. As the rim of the plate H is
bent up by the action of the rolls A, A', buckles will be formed. therein,
owing to the circumference of the bent up portion being greater than
that of the plate at the angle of the rim. These buckles will be
removed by the stretching of the turned up rim in the direction of
the axis of the rolls by the action of the helical surfaces of the lattér.
If the rim is to be turned up at right angles to the surface of the plate
the rest J is gradually raised as described until the plate assumes the
position shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1.
For forming flanges on cylinders the stirrup frame I is removed and
replaced by the arrangement shewn in vertical section and plan at
Figures 5 and 6. Here the counter-pressure roller O is arranged hori-
zontally on the bearer L so as to press internally upon the cylinder H
on which the flange is to be formed, and this is carried by means of the
adjustable support I on the rest J. In the support I is a shaft I' rotatable
by means of bevil gearing, and carrying a bevil wheel I* in gear with a
bevil pinion Is on a spindle I', having right and left handed screw threads.
screwing into heads I³ sliding in bearing on the plate Iº, which heads
are made to press against the interior of the cylinder H so as to hold the
The formation of the flange is effected by bringing the lower
edge of the cylinder (previously somewhat bent up) between the rolls,
and after adjusting the parts J and L into proper position the rolls A, A',
are caused gradually to approach each other and to press upon the
turned up rim with their helical surfaces.
same.
:
Figures 7 and 8, Sheet II., shew respectively a side elevation and end-
elevation of an arrangement of rolling machinery with helical rolls
particularly adapted for working down the edges of heavy plates. · A, A',.
are as before the rolls with helical working surfaces made to revolve:
in contrary directions, the shafts B, B', thereof being carried by head-

page_text: stocks C, C', and connected to the gearing D, D¹, by.safety couplings E, E'.
The table F carrying the plate G to be acted upon (in this instance of
rectangular shape) is carried on wheels H, H, running on rails on a
carriage I having wheels J running on rails K at right angles to the
axes of the rolls. This carriage is provided with any well-known reversing
gear, such as that used for planing machines. For thinning down and
stretching the edges of the plate G this is brought to the required extent
between the rolls A, A', by means of the table F, and it is then secured
on the table by means of the clamp F' and screws F. When the plate G
has been gripped between the rolls it will in consequence of their rotation 1
be carried, together with the table F and carriage I, laterally upon the
rails. By reversing the motion of the rolls the plate is carried in the
contrary direction, and thus by repeated operations the thinning and
stretching of the plate will be effected. It will be evident that the
holding mechanism described with reference to Sheet I. may also be 1
employed in this arrangement, as also that the carriage I may be used
in the former arrangement.
At Figures 9 to 13 is shewn the application of the rolls with helical
surfaces to the manufacture of railway wheels. After the circular
plate G with central boss G¹ has been thinned down at the outer 2
edge between the rolls A, A', at Figure 3, the rim is turned up by the
arrangement shewn at Figure 10 (the construction of which will be
readily understood), and the rim may then be shaped, as shewn at
Figure 11.
Figures 12 and 13 shew the combination of the flanged disc with a 2
tyre either shrunk or rivetted on to it.
Figures 14 and 15, on Sheet III., shew respectively a side elevation.
and a plan of a machine in which are combined a pair of cylindrical
rolls A, A', with helical surfaces for thinning down and stretching flat
plates, as before described, and a pair of convex and concave rolls B, B¹, 3
with hyperbolical surfaces for working plates into a dished or spherical
form. Both sets of rolls are driven from one and the same driving
shaft C, the shafts G, G', of the rolls A, A', being driven through the
vertical shaft D and bevil gearing E, E', E², E³, while the shafts
K, K', K, of the rolls B, B', are driven direct from the shaft O by the 3
spur gearing F, F¹. The roll A¹ is adjustable parallel to the roll A, its
shaft G¹ being carried by a sliding frame H adjustable in the headstocks
I, I, by means of screw gearing J. The end of the shaft G' takes into

page_text: a neck on the sleeve E' formed on or fixed to the bevil wheel E³, which
slides on a feather on the shaft D, so that as the shaft G₁ is raised or
lowered it carries the bevil wheel F³ with it. The motion of the rolls
A; A¹, can be reversed by the reversing gear C¹ with conical friction
clutch C on the shaft C of well-known construction...
This arrangement of the rolls A, A¹, is only a modification of those
previously described with reference to Figures 1 to 11, and the several
appliances there described for carrying and manipulating the plate to
be acted upon may be applied to this arrangement. Of the rolls B, B',
for forming dished or spherical plates B is fixed on the vertical shaft K²
carried in the frame I, and is rendered adjustable to or from the roll B
by means of the screw gearing K³ connected to the step bearing K* of the
shaft K, which latter is made to slide with a feather through the bévil
wheel K³ in gear with the bevil wheel K on the shaft K. The plate L
to be worked into a dished form by the rolls is supported by two rods
M, M, which are formed with screw threads to prevent the slipping of
the plate, and which are carried in sockets M' fixed on a shaft M³, so
that by turning this shaft by means of the worm and worm wheel M³
the rod M may be made to assume any angle required for supporting
the plate L in the proper position between the rolls. The operation of
dishing out the plate L is effected by causing the rolls B, B',, to act
upon the same in concentric circles, or in a very narrow spiral extending
from the centre towards the periphery of the plate, the position of the
plate being adjusted by the rods M, M, as described.
The arrangement shewn at Figures 16 and 17 can be substituted for
that just described. In this arrangement the hyperbolical rolls are
replaced by one horizontal roll A with a number of separate short
helical surfaces, as shewn, with spaces between them, and a sphere or
spherical surface A¹ held in the adjustable frame B hinged at B', or in
place of the sphere might be employed a short cylindrical smooth roller
held by a fork in the frame.
This arrangement is principally applicable for dished plates of
moderate size, while the previous arrangement with hyperbolical rolls.
is applicable for plates of larger dimensions. The plate L is, in this
case, held centrally by a hinged jaw or frame C, which is moved
according to the position which the plate is required to assume, it being.
for this purpose carried in an adjustable rest similar to that described;
with reference to Figure 1. The rotation of the roll, A causes the.

page_text: plate L to revolve on the centre where it is held, the sphere A' being
thereby also made to turn in its socket. The spherical surface is
produced both by the operation of the roll A from the centre towards
the periphery of the plate, and by the form of the spherical roll A'.
Both this and the previous arrangement may be modified, thus the
spherical roll may be held in a fixed support underneath the plate L,
and the roll A may be arranged above the plate in a vertically adjustable
manner (the position of the plate L being in that case reversed). In
the former arrangement with two hyperbolical rolls the lower roll may
be fixed and the upper one made adjustable..
Figure 18, Sheet IV., shews a side elevation; Figure 19, a front
elevation; and Figure 20, a part plan of a machine with helical rolls
for forming a rim or flange on plates having any desired configuration.
In this case the outer roll A is of a larger diameter than A', but their
shafts B, B', are driven by the shaft C by means of bevil gearing
D, D', E, E', so proportioned that the circumferential velocities of the
two rolls shall be the same. The plate F to be operated upon is fixed
by means of the stirrup frame G and holding screw G¹ upon a carriage
G2 having a template G³, the configuration of which is formed to follow
an equidistant line of the configuration desired to be imparted to the
plate F, the template being kept up against the guide roller H during
the operation of bending the plate, and it is, therefore, as much smaller
than the plate itself as the combined diameters of the roll A' and guide
roller H. The carriage G², carrying the plate F, rests upon balls I, I,
fitting loosely in sockets in the table or rest J, and can therefore turn
freely in every direction upon the latter, while the guide roller H is
fixed to the table. The table J, together with the stirrup frame G,
template G³, and plate F is furthermore capable of turning vertically
round a centre corresponding with the upper rounded edge of the roll A','
it being for this purpose provided with circular slides J¹, J¹, working in
the circular lateral guides K', K', on the framing K. The slides J, J¹,
carry by means of the transverse piece J a counter-pressure roller L,
which prevents the plate F from bulging up while the flange is being
formed thereon. The turning of the table J is effected from the driving
shaft C by means of the bevil gearing M with reversing clutch M¹ on
the worm shaft M2, the worm M³ of which is in gear with a worm.
wheel M on a shaft Ms carrying pinions M in gear with the segment
racks J³, fixed to the table J and working in guides K on the frame K.
4
,

page_text: The plate F having been fixed on the carriage G³, this is brought up to
the rolls A, A', so that these can seize a portion of the edge of the
plate which has been previously bent down for this purpose. By the
rotation of the rolls the plate F and template G³ are moved along and
the configuration produced on the former by the action of the rolls is
governed by the motion of the template against the guide roller H.
By substituting the form of stirrup frame shewn at Figure 21 for
that shewn in the preceding Figures the machine can be adapted for
forming flanges or rims on dished plates.
The machine may also be used for forming flanges on cylinders, etc.,
by fixing on the table several vertically adjustable rollers or balls, upon
which the cylinder to be operated upon is allowed to revolve. The end
of the cylinder to be flanged is bent down at one point, which is then
brought between the rolls, whereupon the rotation of the latter will
effect the formation of the flange as the cylinder revolves. Upon the
outer circumference of the cylinder may be secured a guide ring which
in being brought against the guide roller will act as a gauge for the size
of the flange.
Figures 22 and 23 on Sheet V., shew respectively an elevation and
plan of a machine with helical rolls for producing hollow thin sheet
metal articles having any desired 'ornamental configuration. The opera-
tions in this machine comprise the gradual raising or spinning of the
metal, the forming of mouldings thereon parallel with the bottom surface
of the article, and the impression of ornamental designs thereon. To
effect these operations with the helical rolls two, three, or more vertical
pairs of such rolls A, A¹, B, B', C, C', are arranged in one and the same
machine round a central vertical driving shaft D. In place of the hinged
bearer shewn in Figures 1 to 4, for supporting the object to be operated
upon a portion E¹ of the table E is arranged to turn on pivots E² by the
agency of a worm and worm wheel E³. The bearings of these pivots are
also rendered vertically adjustable in guides E* by means of the lever F
and shaft F', and a counter-pressure roller G is fixed to the back of the
table E. A small guide roller H is also fixed on the table against which
a template I bears. The sheet metal to be operated upon after having
been cut approximately to the general form of the article to be produced
(in this case an elliptical form) is fixed on the template I on the table.
and the portion of the plate to be turned up is brought between the rolls
while the sheet metal is so guided by hand or by a stirrup frame that the
Τ

page_text: template bears against the guide roller. The hinged table E¹ is then
raised from the inclined position shewn by means of the worm and worm
wheel and the rolls are made to rotate. If the metal has become too
hard to be further worked it is removed by lowering the table and is
reheated, after which it is brought under the action of another pair of
rolls having the desired configuration which may either be substituted
for those which were first used or they may be the rolls of the next
machine in the table. By way of example four pairs of helical rolls are
shewn combined in the Drawing.
+
Figures 24, 25, and 26 on Sheet VI., shew respectively a side elevation,
a front elevation, and a plan of a machine with helical rolls for welding
up the longitudinal and transverse seams of cylinders. For welding the
longitudinal seam of the cylinder A. this is brought between the helical
roll B and the smooth roll B' placed at right angles to B. This latter is
fixed on the shaft C driven by the bevil wheels C₁ and E' from the
driving shaft E. While the shaft F carrying the roll B₁ is also driven by
E through the spur gearing F¹ and G', shaft G, and bevil wheels G² and C¹.
The cylinder A is carried upon a number of balls
adjustable troughs H', H', whereby the cylinder is
longitudinal direction as it passes through the rolls.
of the shaft C is fixed the helical roll D which in conjunction with the
helical roll D¹ above it serves to weld the transverse seam of the cylinder I.
The shaft J of the roll D¹ is driven through the spur gearing J¹, C², from
the shaft C. The bearings K, K, for the shaft J are capable of being
turned down by segment racks and pinions K', as shewn, to allow the
cylinder to be introduced over the shaft. The cylinder I is supported
upon rollers or balls in troughs (not shown) in a similar manner to the
cylinder A.
H, H, placed in
easily moved in a
Upon the extension
The heating apparatus with water tuyeres, shewn at Figures 25 to 28,
for heating the longitudinal and transverse seams of the cylinders will be
readily understood without further description and form no part of my
present Invention. Figures 25 and 26 shew the apparatus for heating
the longitudinal seams, and Figures 27 and 28 that for the transverse
seams. The meeting edges of the skelps for the cylinders having been
lapped over each other and secured in that position by small rivets they
are heated to a welding heat and then passed between the rolls which
are made to exert the requisite pressure on the seams to effect the
welding together thereof, the cylinder A being made to travel longi

page_text: tudinanty and the cylinder 1 to turn on its axis by the action of the
rolls.
Figures 29 and 30 on Sheet VII., shew the application of the helical
rolls for smoothing down irregularities in sheet metal and for straight-
ening or stretching the sheets such as has heretofore been done either by
hand, hammers, or by complicated machinery. Figure 29 shews a side
elevation, and Figure 30 a plan of the machine. The lateral driving
shaft A can be made to turn in contrary directions and carries a bevil
wheel B. fixed thereon driving a pair of stationary helical rolls C, C¹. It
carries. furthermore a bevil wheel D sliding on a feather on the shaft,
driving a second pair of helical rolls E, E', carried in headstocks F which
can be moved together with the rolls and the driving gear along the
bed G of the machine by means of racks G' on the latter, in gear with
which are pinions H on a shaft H' having a spur wheel H², which can
be put in and out of gear with the spur gearing of the rolls by means of
the lever H³. Both pairs of rolls are formed with helical surfaces
extending in right and left hand directions from the middle of the rolls
to the ends thereof as shewn. The lower rolls C, E, are driven by the
bevil gearing from the shaft A and they have at their opposite ends spur
wheels I, J, with long teeth gearing into spur wheels I, J, on the
rolls C, E, whereby these are made to revolve in contrary directions.
When the sheet metal K to be operated upon has been introduced
between the rolls, and these are made to exert the requisite pressure
thercon, the smoothing, straightening, or stretching of the sheet metal is
effected either by driving the rolls C, C', and E, E', in contrary directions,
E, E', being stationary on the bed G, or by causing the two pairs of rolls
to revolve in the same direction, but with different circumferential
velocity (which may be effected either by using differently proportioned
driving gear or by giving the rolls different diameters), or again by
driving the rolls in contrary directions and at different circumferential
velocities, as also by simultaneously moving the rolls E, E', along the
bed G.
t
Figures 31 and 32 shew. the application of the helical rolls to the
production of rings for steam boilers or other purposes without.
rivetted joint. Figure 31 shews a front elevation, and Figure 32 shews
a, side clevation of the machine. The punched or welded ring A is for
this purpose brought between the rolls. B, B', with right and left handed
helical surfaces, as shewn.. The one headstock C is for the introduction
.

page_text: of the ring arranged to turn down upon pivots at C¹ by means of
the worm and segment C³ worked either by a lever or by a small steam
engine as indicated. The ring A is held in position by two lateral
rollers D, D, which may be adjusted by bevil gearing or by a worm and
worm wheel. When the requisite pressure has been put upon the rolls
and these are made to rotate the ring A will be extended principally
in the direction of the length of the rolls, and will thus be formed into
a boiler ring without rivetted scam.
Figure 33 shows the adaptation of the helical rolls A, A', to the
rolling of Hand other sections of rolled iron. The metal is stretched
thereby in the direction of the axis of the rolls whereby the flanges are
formed in the lateral grooves.
Figure 34 shows an arrangement which I prefer to employ for
producing the requisite pressure between the rolls wherein a screw
spindle A is made to screw through a piston B fitting in the cylindrical
hollow C in the headstock. The space C is filled with water or other
fluid, and when the screw A has been screwed down upon the bearings
of the rolls, an additional hydraulic pressure is put on by forcing the
small plunger D inwards by means of the screw gearing E. I do not
claim this contrivance as part of my present Invention.
Figures 35 to 38 on Sheet VIII, shew the application of the helical
rolls to the manufacture of tubes or solid cylindrical objects, such as
shafting pipes, tubes for ordnance, and such like objects, by rolling
them either in a hot or cold state, a copying apparatus being combined
with the machine. Figure 35 shows a side elevation of the machine;
Figure 36 shews a front elevation; Figure 37 shews a back elevation ;
and Figure 38 shews a plan. The shaft A carries a spur wheel B driven
from the driving shaft C and having an internal toothed rim B¹ gearing
into three pinions D, D, D, upon three equidistant shafts. E, E, E,
which shafts are consequently made to rotate in the same direction.
The shafts E, E, E, have couplings at E', so arranged as to allow the
front portions thereof to move in a radial direction to and from cach
other, the bearings thereof being for this purpose arranged to slide in
grooves in the framing G, as shewn at Figure 36. The shafts carry at
their front overhanging ends three equidistant helical rolls F, F, F.
Below the framing G of the rolls is a sliding carriage H, which may be
made to travel backwards and forwards by any suitable known con-
trivance, such as the screw spindle I working in a nut in the carriage,

page_text: as shewn. Upon the carriage H are two adjustable headstocks H', H²,
between which the model or pattern J of the object to be copied (in this
case a pin or bolt with a head) is held. The metal rod K to be operated
upon is held between the headstocks H² and H³, the metal being fixed
in H2 and either riding loose in H³, or the latter may hold the rod with a
lathe centre, in which case it must be made to slide, and be pressed against
the rod by means of a spring or weight, as the rod alters in length by
the rolling process. The copying rollers L on the shafts E bear upon
the pattern J, and thus regulate the distance between the helical rolls F,
so that these will be made to reproduce the configuration of the pattern
upon the roughly formed object K as this is passed between them by
the motion of the carriage H. The pressure of the rolls upon the
object K is regulated by the screws M, actuated by the worms and worm
wheels M' geared together by the endless chain N.
In like manner sheet metal may be drawn or spun upon a form or
mandril mounted in front of the rolls in a similar manner to an ordinary
lathe, so that by moving the carriage forward the metal is drawn or spun
upon the form or mandril by the action of the rolls. If the copying
mechanism is omitted solid or hollow bodies may be rolled in the
direction of their length, either upon a mandril or otherwise, and screw
threads, lines, or other forms may also be impressed upon the object by
the rolls.
Figures 39 and 40, Sheet 9, shew respectively a side and end
clevation of a machine with helical rolls for drawing, stretching, or
straightening round iron or other metal. Upon the bed A are placed
two sets of rolls B, B, C, C, arranged somewhat similar to those just
described. The one set B, B, is fixed on the bed, while the other C, C,
can be made to travel to and fro along the bed by the two screw spindles
D, D, which, as also the rolls, are driven by the central driving shaft E
and gearing. The spur wheel F driving the rolls C, C, slides on a
feather on the shaft E, and is carried along by the framing of these
rolls. The drawing, stretching, or straightening of the object G to be
operated upon is effected in a similar manner to that described with
reference to Figures 29 and 30.
Figure 41 shews an arrangement of a pair of vertical, helical rolls A, A¹,
and behind these a pair of horizontal helical rolls B, B', arranged similar
to an ordinary four-roll rolling mill for drawing down or squeezing bar
iron instead of working it under a hammer.

page_text: Figure 42 shows the combination of the helical roll A, with the
grooved rolls B, B', for the manufacture of broad flanged rails. The
shafts C, C', of the rolls B, B¹, are driven by the spur gearing D, D',
while the helical roll A is driven from D through the spur wheel E,
shaft F, and bevil gearing G, G¹. By the action of the helical surfaces
on the roll A, the metal brought between the rolls is stretched or spread
upwards and downwards so as to form the flanges of the rail while the
other part of the rail is formed by the rolls B, .B¹. Several such
machines may be arranged in a row side by side and driven by one
common driving shaft, so that the rail may in passing from the one
set of the rolls to the next be consecutively acted upon by the corre
spondingly formed grooves of different gauges.
In all or any of the before described arrangements of the helical rolls
these latter may either be formed of one piece, or they may be composed
of a series of discs fixed together, each having helical surfaces of the
same pitch. Also in many of the before described operations it will be
sufficient if the one roll only is provided with the helical surfaces instead
of both being so formed.
•
The helical rolls may be manufactured either by cutting the helical
surfaces upon smooth rolls in a lathe, or by forming the helical surfaces
on the pattern from which they are cast, and the convex or concave
form of the helical surfaces may be produced by grinding upon a grind-
stone. In this case either the grindstone or the roll must be capable of
being moved to and fro.
· Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not claim as of my Invention all the various herein-before described
arrangements and details of mechanism when taken separate and apart
from their combination with my improved rolls with helical working
surfaces; but what I claim as the Invention secured to me under the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Rolling, shaping, or working metals by means of rolls having
helical or screw like working surfaces so formed as by their rotation to
act upon the metal in a series of consecutive, cycloidal, tangential, or
otherwise formed lines, substantially as and for the purposes heroin-
before set forth.
Second. The construction of machinery with helical rolls for thinning
down and flanging metal plates or cylinders herein before described

page_text: with reference to Figures 1 to 10 and 18 to 21 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. The construction of machinery with helical rolls for forming
dished or hollow plates and other objects herein-before described with
reference to Figures 14 to 17 and 22 and 23 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. The construction of machinery with helical rolls for welding
seams of cylinders herein-before described with reference to Figures
22 to 24 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. The construction of machinery with helical rolls for reducing,
roughing, drawing out, stretching, or smoothing of cylindrical or other
bars, plates, tubes, or rings herein-before described with reference to
Figures 29 to 32 and 35 to 41 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whercof, I, the said Abraham Lismann, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.