IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COATING IRON PLATES WITH TIN OR OTHER METAL OR METALS, AND FOR CLEANSING THEM
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Davies, of Crumlin, in the County of Monmouth,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR COATING IRON PLATES WITH TIN OR OTHER METAL OR
METALS, AND FOR CLEANSING THEM."
Sealed the 21st February 1879, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
and dated the 14th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Davies at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1878.
DAVID DAVIES, of Crumlin, in the County of Monmouth, Mechanical Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COATING IRON PLATES WITH
TIN OR OTHER METAL OR METALS, AND FOR CLEANSING THEM.'
"
The object of this Invention is to improve and simplify the process of coating
iron plates with tin or other metal or alloy of metals, and for cleansing such plates
from oxide of iron before they are coated with tin or alloy, and also from grease
after they are so coated.
Firstly. I remove the oxide and impurities from the iron plates by placing them
in suitable carriages of any convenient size, and conveying them in special cradles
or caps direct from the bench to the pickling tank charged with the requisite acid
or pickle. The said plates descend into the tank at one end, and are moved to and
fro through the pickle to the other end thereof by suitable self-acting machinery;
the plates are then raised out of the pickle and lowered into a tank containing
water, and are moved to and fro therein to cleanse them, jets of compressed air,
water, or steam being admitted into the bottom of the tanks to keep the liquid in
constant circulation. The plates may be passed singly through the pickle by jets
of compressed air impinging at a proper angle on their under sides, or by friction
discs.
Secondly. The plates thus cleansed are passed singly through a suitable tubular
curved or straight bath made in one or more parts, and so arranged as to contain the

page_text: requisite quantity of molten metal and grease, with an opening at one end to receive
the plates as they are fed in for delivery at the other. The central part of this bath is
so arranged that the hot gases may pass around it for maintaining the equal tem-
perature of the mass of molten metal, and thus prevent waste and insure uniformity
in the coating. The iron plates can be passed through the molten metal by hand
or by self-acting means (such as pistons, quadrants, friction discs, rolls, or screws)
or otherwise by causing the molten metal to flow in a continuous current so as to
carry them direct into the finishing rolls at the other end of the bath.
Between the feeding and delivering pairs of rolls I place one or more intermediate
adjustable washing rolls (of any convenient diameter, and either plain or fluted
spirally) set singly on each side of the said plates, and in advance of each other.
These adjustable washing rolls revolve in the opposite direction to that of the
feeding and delivering rolls for the purpose of removing the surplus metal coating
from the surfaces of the covered plates, and giving them a uniform, smooth, and
even surface. These washing rolls running in the opposite direction to the feeding
and delivering rolls may be applied to any of the existing systems of finishing
rolls now in use so as to remove the surplus metal coating and dispense with the
washman.
Thirdly. The surfaces of the coated plates now require to be cleansed of the
grease left thereon by the previous process. For this purpose I mount in suitable
bearings, and in line with each other in any position, one or more pairs of hollow
cylinders or other shaped vessels containing bran, and so placed as to revolve
centrally or eccentrically, as desired, at the same or different speeds, so that the
grease may be rubbed or ground off the plates by frictional contact, and have a
constant supply of clean bran therefor as they pass between the ends of the said
hollow vessels. These vessels may be supplied with clean bran from hoppers, but I
prefer to supply bran through suitable nozzles placed at one end only of such vessel or
vessels by air-blast pressure, which may be regulated to any degree of force to give
the requisite amount of friction for cleansing the plates.
Suction pipes are so placed as to withdraw the floating dust by fan, compressed
air, or otherwise, and to return the clean bran out of it through the nozzles into the
hollow vessels.
When desired to remove a portion of the grease off the plates as they pass from
the delivering rolls, I pass compressed air through pipes placed in the bottom of the
bath or through a steam pipe for heating it on its way to the outlet nozzles on
each side of the plates as they pass through.
The system of feeding bran by air-blast pressure and sucking the floating dust
from around the machine may be applied to any other form of cleaning machine if
desirable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st February
1879.
DAVID DAVIES, of Crumlin, in the County of Monmouth, Mechanical Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COATING IRON PLATES WITH
TIN OR OTHER METAL OR METALS, AND FOR CLEANSING THEM."
The object of this Invention is to improve and simplify the process of coating.
iron plates with tin or other metal or alloy of metals, and for cleansing such plates
from oxide of iron before they are coated, and also from grease after being
coated.
In order that my said Invention may be more fully understood, I will explain
the same with the aid of the accompanying four Sheets of Drawings which form
part of this Specification, reference being made thereto by the numerals and letters
marked thereon.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation on the line 7-7, Fig. 2, shewing my
improved apparatus for cleansing iron plates from oxide and other matter thereon.
previous to coating them, and which consists of an ordinary direct-acting hydraulic
or steam crane a, having five horizontal jibs b suspended from the top of the
hydraulic ram by tie rods, turning thereon for taking the cages containing the iron
plates to be cleaned off the portable carriages c, and lowering such cages into the
acid and water tanks."
The cages d with the iron plates e are suspended on swivels f actuated by the.
tappets g, so as to shake or oscillate such cages and alter their angles to cause the
acid and water to pass more freely between the plates e, or to alter the current
thereof, as indicated by the arrows when the plates are moved to and fro' therein
in the tanks of acid and of water.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, shewing the two tanks h for acid and the two
tanks for water, with cages d containing plates e suspended therein from four of.
the jibs b, and the portable carriage c², receiving a cage of cleansed plates from the
other jib b¹.
The operation of cleansing the iron plates is as follows:-Any number of the
iron plates are placed in cages d on portable carriages c1, c2, c³, which run on rails c',
direct under the jib b¹, and are lifted therefrom by crane, and are lowered into the
tank of strong acid h; they are then lifted out again and lowered into tank h¹
containing weaker acid, from which they are lifted out and lowered into tank h².
containing water for swilling the plates, and then lifted from this into tank h³, also
containing water. When the said tanks are filled with cages of plates to be cleansed
compressed air is admitted from an air compresser or blower direct through pipes j¹
into air chambers h, at the bottom of each of the acid and water tanks, from whence
it passes up through perforations in plate h³, direct under the bottom edges of the
iron plates e in the cages, thus causing the iron plates to be separated from each
other for the admission of acid and water over their whole surfaces, and as the
action of the compressed air in passing up from bottom of tank to, surface between
the iron plates causes very rapid circulation of the liquid in such tanks, and thus
facilitates the speedy and effectual removal of oxide and other matter from the
surfaces of the said plates.
The cages d with their plates are lifted and placed in position by hydraulic
power by jibs 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, the water therefor entering by the inlet pipe j and
acting on the under side of the hydraulic ram k working inside the cylinder
fixed to the floor; j' shows outlet pipes fixed to the bottoms of acid and water
tanks for draining same.
Sheet 2, Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation of my improved disc; and Fig. 4 is a
vertical section of the same on the line 4-4, Fig. 3, showing the method of passing
the plates e singly through the acid tanks h for cleansing them. This disc n is
-

page_text: keyed on the shaft o, and is caused to rotate by the worm wheel p, actuated by
worm g, thus causing the fingers s to rotate through the acid and so carry with
them the plates e, which are fed in between adjustable guides u, and are delivered
at the other end u², where they are blown out by a jet of steam, water, or air, under
pressure by fan or otherwise at u³. The guides can be moved apart to suit
various widths of plates e.
Sheet 3, Fig. 5, is a sectional elevation of a curved bath containing the molten
metal for coating the plates e as they are passed through it to the finishing rollers at
the exit end. The plates e are fed in singly at one end of the bath, and when they
come in contact with disc 1 are carried forward by frictional contact with the under
edge of such disc to disc 2, and so on to discs 3, 4, and 5, which latter disc
delivers them to the feeding rollers w¹, working in the grease pot w³, and these
rollers w pass the said plates between the washing rollers w² (which revolve in the
opposite direction to that of the feeding and finishing rollers) to be cleansed from
oxides and other impurities thereon, when the said plates are carried to the
finishing rollers w for delivery from the grease pot w³. The discs and feeding and
finishing rollers are all geared together to work at the same speed, but the washing
rollers w² may be run at any greater or less speed as most suitable for effectually
cleansing the plates e, and thus dispense with and save the expense of the usual
washman.
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a similar bath having one of its ends rectangular,
and an opening in one of its sides near the bottom leading to a curved tubular bath
connecting it with the grease pot w³. The plates e are fed in separately between
the adjustable guides u, and are carried forward by the pendulums 12 and qua-
drants 13, which are suspended as shown, and receive their reciprocating motion
from the connecting rods 15 by the crank pins 16. The fork on the end of the
the quadrant 13 delivers the plates e through the tubular bath 17 direct to
feeding rollers w₁ working in the grease pot w³, thence passes them between
the washing and finishing rollers as before described.
The washing rollers are adjusted to the plates by partially revolving their end
bearings 22 in their seats, which carry the washing rollers with them.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 1-1, Fig. 6, through the curved
part of the tube, showing the adjustable guides u and plates e passing through it.
Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 2-2, Fig. 6, through the rectangular
portion of the bath, showing the ends of the pendulums 12 and quadrant 13.
:
Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of a curved tubular bath for coating long plates,
and having similar grease pots at each end thereof. The grease pot w³ at the
feeding end 23 contains a pair of feeding rollers w¹ for conveying the plates
through the tubular bath containing the molten metal direct between the washing
rollers w², and in front of the finishing rollers w working in the grease pot at the
finishing end.
Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the curved bath on the line 3-3, Fig. 9,
showing the method of uniting the metal plates of the said tubes.
Sheet 4, Fig. 11, is an elevation of my improved apparatus; and Fig. 12 is a
sectional elevation of the same on the line 6-6, Fig. 11, for removing grease off
the coated plates.
a¹ are two hollow cylinders or vessels containing bran or other cleansing material
at b² for cleaning both sides of the plates as they pass between the cylinders a¹
when revolving in their bearings d¹ in the same or opposite directions; e¹ are
feeding and delivery rollers for passing the plates between the ends of the hollow
vessels and receive their motion from mitre wheels f1 and the hollow cylinders
from spur wheels g', all geared to work simultaneously from the main shaft h!
and pullies i¹.
When the machinery is put in motion the plates to be cleaned are passed
horizontally between the rollers e¹.
As it is imperative that an equal pressure be brought to bear on the under
as on the upper side of such plates, I use a blast pressure on the cleansing

page_text: material therefor in a continuous current through the central pipe leading
from the hopper k₁ that receives its supply from the fan l.
When the hollow vessels b¹ are put in rapid motion, the centrifugal action of
the hollow cylinders causes the cleansing material to flow out in a continuous cloud,
and against each side of the said plates from the interior of the hollow vessels
direct into an air-tight chamber m, from where the exhaust fan withdraws it,.
and passes the clean portion thereof by the pipe ox back into the hopper /¹ for use
again, and so on repeatedly. By this process all dust is prevented from settling
upon the machinery, and every portion of the cleansing material is utilized, while
that portion of it which becomes mixed with grease and dirt falls by its own gravity>
and remains on the bottom of the said chamber at n².
Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation shewing a modification of the apparatus last
described with different shaped hollow vessels b', which are driven by endless bands
working in grooved pullies p', also showing novel self-acting rubbers q¹ for removing
any dust that may remain on the plates as they pass from the rollers. As the
plates pass from the rollers they come in contact with the curved face of rubber q','
which presses the spring q², and thus slightly lifts the plate until it touches the
curved face of the upper rubber in advance; the latter rubber is pressed down on
the plate by the weight q³, regulated to give the requisite pressure, which remains
until the plate has passed the said rubbers.
Fig. 14 is a part vertical section of Fig. 13 showing another modification of the
means of feeding the hollow vessels b' through the hollow trunnion r, and driven
by pulley with a solid spindle s' passing through the hopper kl. The dust is
removed from the plates by one or more adjustable dusting or polishing rollers 202
revolving at different speed to the delivery rollers w.
Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation shewing another modification of cleansing
apparatus by which the bran or other cleansing material is blown on to each face of
the said plates by air pressure passing through nozzles ux and the circular space v
of hoppers.
The inside rollers e* may be run in opposite directions to the feeding rollers w¹
for removing dust which is sucked out by exhaust pipe *, and returned through
hoppers as previously described.
y are pipes for directing jets of compressed air on to the plates as they pass out
and so remove the dust off them.
Fig. 16 is a sectional elevation of a modification of Fig. 15 shewing a double set
of blast nozzles ux for feeding the cleansing material, and a mode of conveying the
plates through the apparatus on endless bands a¹ instead of the feeding and delivery
rollers.
:
Sheet 2, Fig. 17, is a sectional elevation of a machine having a pair of horizontal
hollow cylinders or vessels containing the cleansing material fed in through central
trunnions by blast pressure through the hopper k, with exhausting apparatus, as
described under Fig. 11. As the plates pass between the said cylinders the centri-
fugal action thereof forces the cleansing material through the small perforations
therein on to the greased surface of the plates, and so removes the dust
therefrom.
Fig. 18 is a transverse section of the same on the line 5-5, Fig. 17, showing fan
exhaust l.
Fig. 19 is an enlarged section of a pair of hollow cylinders grooved spirally for
containing the cleansing material fed through central trunnions, as previously
described, the centrifugal action of which in revolving causes the cleansing material
to fly towards the outside periphery of the cylinders, so that when the plates pass
between them they are in contact with two revolving surfaces of cleansing material,
and as these hollow cylinders revolve in opposite directions to the movement of the
plates the grease will thereby be rapidly removed.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and the method of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details and dimensions now illustrated; because from

page_text: the nature of my said Invention they are capable of considerable modifications, as
now partly shown, without departing from the chief characteristics of the Invention,
but I claim as new and desire to secure by the above mentioned in part recited.
Letters Patent,-
Firstly. The application of compressed air for separating and cleansing the iron
plates in the water or acid tanks, and the method of applying such compressed
air.
Secondly. The method of conveying the iron plates singly through the acid by a
disc wheel and fingers, and of blowing such plates off the said fingers by jets of
compressed air or other fluid.
Thirdly. The method of conveying the iron plates through the molten metal by
a series of disc wheels.
Fourthly. The method of conveying the iron plates through the molten metal by
pendulums and quadrants.
Fifthly. The application of one or more adjustable washing rollers running in the
opposite direction to that of the feeding rollers to each side of the iron plates for
cleansing them.
Sixthly. The method of arranging the baths for coating iron plates with tin or
other metal, as shewn in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Seventhly. The use and method of applying compressed air for feeding in the
cleansing material for removing grease from the coated plates.
Eighthly. The method of blowing the cleansing material directly on the surfaces
of the said plates, and of conveying such plates through the apparatus.
Ninthly. The method of cleansing and polishing the coated plates by one or more
dusting rollers.
Tenthly. The method of cleansing and polishing the coated plates by means of
rubbers, shewn in Fig. 13.
Eleventhly. The method of feeding in cleansing material with or without
compressed air direct to the cleaning faces of the discs or vessels through a
central hollow spindle or shaft or through a concentric trunnion surrounding a
: solid spindle.
Twelfthly. The method of removing dust and other loose material from the coated
plates by jets of compressed air, shewn in Fig. 15.
Thirteenthly. The method of withdrawing the floating bran and dust from within
and from off the surrounding apparatus, and returning the clean portion of such
cleansing material to and thence through the apparatus for use over again
continuously, all substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Davies, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
ALTINA