IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON OR OTHER METAL BEAMS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn,
in the County of Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City
of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON OR OTHER METAL BEAMS, AND
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Richard Montgomery, of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 7th June 1861, and dated the 15th December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
December 1860.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON OR OTHER METAL BEAMS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE," (a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Richard Montgomery, of New York, in the
United States of America), to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to a peculiar form or construction of iron or
other metal beam, for which Letters Patent were granted to the said Richard
Montgomery, bearing date the 24th day of March 1854, No. 690, in which

page_text: the novelty consisted principally in forming a beam of plate or sheet metal of
uniform thickness, bent or formed into a series of longitudinal folds or corru-
gations, the sides of which are flat and parallel, and the tops and bottoms "in-
verted and uninverted arches." Now the said Inventor bas discovered that
beams so constructed (of the same weight) are much stronger when made so
that one or both series of the arches shall be thicker than the straight or
parallel portions of the said beams.
The first part of this Invention therefore consists in constructing such beams
with the arched portions thicker than the parallel parts of the same, for the pur-
pose of imparting additional strength without increased weight, whether such
beams be rolled from plate or sheet metal, as described in the Specification
before alluded to, or directly from a "bloom" or rectangular bar of metal, as
hereafter described.
The second part of this Invention consists of a method of and apparatus for
rolling such beams at one heat directly from a "bloom", or rectangular bar of
metal without the necessity for previously rolling it into a plate or sheet,
whereby a great economy in both fuel and labor is effected.
The apparatus for effecting this object consists principally of two or more
rolls placed one above the other (three being preferred) mounted in a suitable
framing and geared together. These rolls are furnished with several indenta-
tions or grooves, so arranged that the bar in passing successively through
them is gradually worked from a rectangular shape to a form somewhat resem-
bling (in cross section) the letter-M,-the-flanges_and_inverted arch at the
bottom, and the two uninverted arches at the top, being thicker than the
sloping sides.
From the last of these grooves the beam passes directly into and through
a former or die, the mouth of which is "flared," and bas its sides slightly
sloping, to correspond with the form of the beam as delivered from the rolls.
The interior of this former or die is contracted, and its sides gradually assume
a vertical position, so that the beam on passing through is delivered on the
other side with its four straight portions or sides vertical and parallel, having
at the bottom two exterior horizontal flanges, and being connected together
at the bottom and top by one inverted and two uninverted arches, which,
together with the flanges, are thicker than the vertical sides or portions
thereof.
I may here remark that if the beam require to be arched it can be effected
by the use of a sweeping or curving roll suitably adjusted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in 'the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said George
Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Davies, 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, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON OR OTHER METAL BEAMS, AND
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE," being a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Richard Montgomery, of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Davies, 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 George Davies, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention has reference to a peculiar form or construction of iron or
other metal beam, for which Letters Patent were granted to the said Richard
Montgomery, bearing date the 24th day of March 1854, No. 690, in which
the novelty consisted principally in forming a beam of plate or sheet metal of
uniform thickness, bent or formed into a series of longitudinal folds or corru-

page_text: gations, the sides of which are flat and parallel, and the tops and bottoms "in-
verted and uninverted arches." Now the said Inventor has discovered that
beams so constructed (of the same weight) are much stronger when made so
that one or both series of the arches shall be thicker than the straight or
parallel portions of the said beams.
The first part of this Invention therefore consists in constructing such beams
with the arched portions thicker than the parallel parts of the same, for the
purpose of imparting additional strength without increased weight, whether
such beams be rolled from plate or sheet metal, as described in the Specifica-
tion before alluded to, or directly from a "bloom" or rectangular bar of metal,
as hereafter described.
The second part of this Invention consists of a method of and apparatus for.
rolling such beams at one heat directly from a "bloom" or rectangular bar. of
metal, without the necessity for previously rolling it into a plate or sheet,
whereby a great economy in both fuel and labor is effected.
The apparatus for effecting this object consists principally of two or more
rolls, placed one above the other (three being preferred), mounted in a suit-
able framing and geared together. These rolls are. furnished with several
indentations or grooves, so arranged that the bar in passing successively
through them is gradually worked from a rectangular shape to a form some-
what resembling (in cross section) the letter M, the flanges and inverted-arch-
at the bottom, and the two uninverted arches at the top, being thicker than the
sloping sides.
From the last of these grooves the beam passes directly-into and through
a former or die, the mouth of which is "flared," and has its sides slightly.
sloping, to correspond with the form of the beam as delivered from the rolls..
The interior of this former or die is contracted, and its sides gradually assume
a vertical position, so that the beam on passing through is delivered on the
other side, with its four straight portions or sides vertical and parallel, having.
at the bottom two exterior horizontal flanges, and being connected together.at
the bottom and top. by one inverted and two uninverted arches, which,
together with the flanges, are thicker than the vertical sides or portions
thereof..
I may here remark that if the beam require to be arched it can be effected
by the use of a sweeping or curving roll suitably adjusted.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Improvements
in the Construction of Iron or Metal Beams, and in the Machinery or Appa-
ratus employed for such Purpose," I will proceed to describe. the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect.

page_text: And in order that the same may be distinctly understood, I have annexed here-
unto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following expla-
nation thereof, that is to say:-
The first part of this Invention will be readily understood on referring to
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings, which represents a perspective view
of an iron beam constructed according to the first.part of this Invention. a, a,
representing the parallel portions of the same; b, b, the thickened flanges; and
c, c, the thickened.inverted and uninverted arches.
The remaining Figures in this Sheet of Drawings refer to the second part of
this Invention, and illustrate the method of and apparatus for rolling such
beams directly from the "bloom," as above mentioned.
Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings represents a vertical section taken
longitudinally through the axes of the rollers.
Figure 3, a vertical cross section through the rollers A, B, on the line 1-2;
of Figure 1, and through to the "former" or die C, on the line 3-4, in
Figure 4, which represents an end view of the "former" C, detached.
Figure 5 represents a perspective view of the "former" C, detached.
Figure 6 shows a cross section of the beam produced.
:
The principal part of this device consists of two or more rollers A, B, and P,
of peculiar construction, arranged in suitable frames, the rollers being placed
above each other, and of a "former" C, to be used in combination with the
said rollers; the "former "C being used in connection with the rollers A, B,
as represented in section at Figure 3, where the pointed end a of the "former"
C is shown in contact with the peripheries of the rolls A, B, so that as the
rolled beam is delivered from between the last forming grooves in the rolls
A, B, it passes directly into the flared mouth 6, b, of the "former " C, and by
which it is made to assume the form shewn in dotted lines in Figure 5.
The bearings of the upper roller A are made adjustable by means of set
screws D, D, for the purpose of properly adjusting the two rollers in relation
to each other. The roller A is provided with a series of projections and cavi-
ties of peculiar formation, which respectively correspond to a series of cavities
and projections with which the roller B is provided.
When the outer rims c, c', of the roller A, and c³ and of the roller B, are
in contact, or nearly so, then the projections or flanges c', c³, of the roller A
will fit into the cavity or recess in the roller B, and the projections c of the
in the roller A.
roller B will fit into the cavities
The other projections and cavities of the two rollers will then be in such
elative positions as are represented in Figure 2, forming a series of open

page_text: spaces of peculiar conformation between the two rollers marked d', d², d³, d',
ds, do, d, which correspond to the sections of the bar of iron in the successive
stages of the operation through which it is passed to form the beam, as here-
after described.
The sides of each of the projections of the roller B are perpendicular
where they approach the body of the roller, as seen at, whilst their outer
portions are slightly tapering, so as to fit the recesses c' in the roller A.
The perpendicular portions of the projections care intended to form a
square and smooth edge to the flanges d of the beam when finished.
The bar of iron to be operated upon is successively passed through the
cavities d', d², d³, d', ds, do, d', in such a way that when the whole length of the
bar has passed through one of the cavities it is passed on to and through
the next one, and so forth; from the last cavity it passes into the mouth of
and through the "former "C, and it leaves the "former" Gin its completed
shape, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 4, and also represented in
section at Figure 6.
The first hollow space d', through which the bar is passed, is nearly rect-
angular, as seen in Figure 2. The second is of the shape represented atd³-
The object of the varying forms of the hollow spaces d', &c. is to work a
rectangular bar into a shape the cross section of which represents the letter M,
whilst at the same time the relative form and arrangement of the spaces is
such as to work the metal gradually thinner at the parts e, e, e, than at the
parts fff, as shewn in Figure 6.
The former C, into which the bar passes from the space d, has a flaring
mouth b, b, to receive the bar; the form of the mouth is of a serpentine shape,
as fully shown in the Drawings, the straight portions of which are slightly
sloping, similar to the shape of the cavity d'.
Further back from where the bar enters the former C, the mouth contracts,
as shewn in Figure 4, and the straight portions of the serpentine become ver-
tical, with horizontal flanges at the two ends of the serpentine, corresponding
to the final shape of the bar, as seen at Figure 6.
It will be observed that by preserving the flaring of the parts e, e, e, until
the rolling is completed a more perfect finish is given to the beam, owing to
the uniform pressure which is thus applied to the surface of the beam, whilst
its passage through and between the rollers is rendered more sure and even,
owing to the same fact.
From the foregoing it will be seen that beams can be manufactured according
to the plan aforesaid from the crude bar of iron, and consequently with greatly
decreased expense both as it regards fuel and labor.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"Improvements in the Construction of Iron or Metal Beams, and in the
Machinery or Apparatus employed for such Purpose," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect, I would remark in conclusion, that I claim as. the Invention com-
municated to me by the aforesaid Richard Montgomery,-
Firstly, the rolling of beams constructed according to the Patent No. 690,
1854, above referred to, with the flanges and arches thicker than the parallel
portions of the same.
And, secondly, I claim the method of and apparatus for rolling such beams
direct from the "bloom," substantially as above described and exhibited in the
Drawings annexed, and especially I claim the rollers A and B, with their
peculiarly formed projections and recesses, and the former or die C.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)