IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HAMMERING ROLLING AND SHARING METALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ramsbottom, of Crewe, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR HAMMERING ROLLING AND SHARING METALS"
Sealed the 25th September 1863, and dated the 13th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ramsbottom at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1863.
I, JOHN RAMSBOTTOM, of Crewe, in the County of Chester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR HAMMERING, ROLLING, AND SHAPING METALS," to
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to facilitate the operations of hammering,
rolling, and shaping heavy masses of iron, steel, and other metals.
In performing my Invention I make use of compound steam hammers,
consisting of two or more hammer blocks moving in opposite directions
towards the metal to be operated upon in suchwise that the acting forces may
counteract each other, and so avoid in most cases the use of an anvil. The
hammer blocks are mounted on rollers or wheels running on bed plates or
rails, or they are guided in any other convenient manner, or they vibrate upon
fixed centres, and they are put in motion by one or more steam cylinders
connected to the hammer blocks, either directly or by links, levers, chains, or
otherwise. The blocks are either of the same weight and move at cqual

page_text: velocities, or if of unequal weights they move at velocities inversely pro-
portioned thereto. In some cases an ordinary anvil block may be used, and
the article may be operated upon by two or more hammer blocks placed at an
angle to the anvil, thus acting on three or more faces simultaneously. When
the hammer blocks are placed horizontally I propose, where great force is
required, to run the hind wheels upon inclined rails in order to increase the
force of the blow by the action of gravitation, or the weight of the hammer
blocks may be increased by attaching additional blocks (running upon separate
wheels where necessary) to the hammer blocks. In case where long shafts or
other articles have to be hammered on the ends or "upset," the connections
from the steam cylinders to the hammer blocks may be elongated so as to
admit the shaft or other article between the hammer blocks.
My improvements in machinery for rolling metals consist in an improved
mode of constructing and working rolls of large dimensions, which rolls may
be employed instead of steam hammers for performing the operation of
"cogging" or roughing down large ingots of steam or blooms of iron, and for
other purposes. The rolls consist of a centre portion, which may be cast in
one piece with the journals, working in the ordinary standards, and to the
centre portion are fixed two or more segments, having grooves of different
shapes and dimensions, which segments are capable of being removed when
worn or injured, or when required for change of pattern, to allow others
to be put in their places, thus admitting grooves of different shapes and dimen-
sions in the circumference of the roll, that is to say, each segment may have
grooves varying in number, size, and shape. The rolls are driven by a steam
engine fúrnished with reversing gear, actuated by hydraulic or other power,
and running at a great velocity, which is reduced by a train of wheels and
pinions to suit the velocity required in the rolls; by this means the motion
of the rolls may be reversed with the greatest facility, and the ingot of steel or
other article can be drawn in between the rolls to any extent, and forced
back as often as required.
My improvements in machinery for shaping metals consist in making a
recess or recesses in one or more moveable segments attached to the centro
portions of the rolls above referred to, which recesses when the rolls are
together are of the shape of the articles to be produced. A mass of heated
metal is placed in the recess, and the oscillations of the rolls with the pressure
cause the mass to assume the shape required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ramsbottom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RAMSBOTTOM, of Crewe, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Ier reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Ramsbottom, Her special license that I, the said John
Ramsbottom, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Ramsbottom, 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 MACHINERY FOR HAMMERING, ROLLING, AND
SHAPING METALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Ramsbottom, 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 John Ramsbottom, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The object of my Invention is to facilitate the operations of hammering,
rolling, and shaping heavy masses of iron, steel, and other metals, and the
nature thereof consists, first, in certain improvements in or applicable to
duplex or compound steam hammers, having two or more hammer blocks
moving in opposite directions towards the metal to be operated upon in such-
wise that the acting forces may counteract each other, and so avoid in most
cases the use of an anvil.
Secondly, in an improved combination of machinery for rolling and shaping
metals.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying six Sheets
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of a compound or
duplex steam hammer constructed according to my Invention; Figures 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, and 8 are details which will be described hereafter.
On Sheet 2, Figure 9 is a plan, and Figures 10 and 11 are end views, of
the hammer shewn in Figure 1.
In Figures 1, 9, 10, and 11, a, a, are the hammer blocks supported on the
wheels b, b, which run upon the rails or guides c, c; these rails are bolted to
chairs secured to sleepers, as clearly shewn in the Drawings, or the rails or
guides may be otherwise formed and fixed. The hammer blocks a, a, are
caused alternately to approach and recede from each other simultaneously by
the reciprocating motions of the piston d'in the steam cylinder d. To the
rod of the piston d' is fixed a cross head guided in suitable slides. To the
trunnions of the cross head are jointed the inner ends of the links e', the outer
extremities of which are jointed to the trunnions on the cross bars a*, which
pass through slots in the hammer blocks. On each side of these cross bars is
a packing of thin layers of kamptulicon and woollen cloth or other suitable
materials, and these packings are tightened up by a metal plate and cotters,
the object of these packings is to avoid concussion. The steam is admitted
alternately to each side of the piston in the cylinder d by the circular slide
valve d², (or any other suitable valve may be employed in its stead,) which is
worked by the lever d³, shewn in Figure 10, and the limits of the range of this
lever are indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The stop valve d' is opened
and closed by the lever &, shewn in Figure 10, and the limits of the range of
this lever are also indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. To the cross head fixed
to the rod of the piston d' is attached a stud d", which, when the piston is near
the top of its stroke, comes in contact with the lever d, and raises the valve d²;
by this means the steam is shut off below the piston d' and admitted above it,
thus limiting the outward range of the hammer blocks a, a; but as a further
security against accidents, stop blocks, as shewn in Figure 22, are placed between
the rails or guides c, c, against which the hammer blocks a would strike if
their outward range were not arrested by reversing the valve d. When the
piston arrives at the bottom of the cylinder d, the position of the valve d²
is reversed by the attendant actuating the lever d³, or, if desirable, an
adjustable stud or tappet may be made to act upon the lever d, thus making
the bammer self-acting. It is evident that by means of the hand lever d³ the
range of the to-and-fro motion of the hammer blocks can be varied to any

page_text: portion of the entire stroke of the piston. The ingot g or other article under
operation is held in a vertical position in the tapered socket i, in the circum-
ference of which is a V-shaped groove; this socket is supported by the four
rollers fitting in the said groove. These rollers are mounted on studs fixed
in the frame, to which an up-and-down motion is given for varying the
vertical position of the ingot by means of the levers and , shewn in Figures 1
and 11. The frame is guided by slides projecting from the wall plates i',
and the weight of the ingot with its socket and frame is counterbalanced by
the levers and weights ; the position of the ingot is changed so as to
present the corners alternately to the hammer faces, by the spoke wheel j,
shewn in Figures 9 and 11. This wheel is fixed on the shaft, to the lower
end of which is fixed the lever, connected by the link to the lever j*, the
boss of which passes through a fixed bush. The shaft ja passes through the
boss of the lever j', and is connected to it by a groove and key. To the upper
end of the shaft is forged the lever jo, which is connected by the link to a
snug projecting from the tapered socket i. By this arrangement each quarter
revolution given to the hand wheelj moves the ingot through a range of ninety
degrees. The vertical and horizontal positions of the ingot may be changed by
the attendants so as to give a succession of blows on the same or on opposite
corners and at the same or at different levels. The blows of both hammer
blocks a, a, being simultaneous, the forces counteract each other, thus avoiding
the necessity of an anvil, which, in hammers of large dimensions of the
ordinary construction must be of great weight and requires a corresponding
foundation; another important advantage is, that these improved hanımers
work without causing the injurious vibrations produced by hammers of the
ordinary construction.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 represent an end view, a side view, and a plan of a truck
for carrying steel ingots or other articles, and holding them while they are being
operated upon by my improved duplex hammers. k is the body of the truck
formed by strong plates of iron connected by angle irons, and supported on
the wheels l, which run on cross tram rails c³, shewn in Figure 20. The
ingot g or other article to be operated upon is held between the packing m
and the screw k¹. The hammer faces are higher than the body of the truck,
so as to operate on an ingot or bar narrower than the truck.
Figures 5 and 6 are two views of another truck for supporting ingots or
other articles while under operation. Upon the truck k are placed two cross
pieces m, m, on which the ingot g lies; these cross pieces are narrower than
the ingot, to allow the faces of the hammer to strike on the whole width of the
ingot as it is gradually moved with the truck along the cross tram rails. The

page_text: ingot can be raised by means of clamps of the requisite thickness placed upon
the cross pieces m, as shewn in Figure 7, or higher cross pieces may be substi-
tuted for those shown; or the ingot may be supported on a series of rollers, the
middle ones being sufficiently wide apart to admit the bammer face between
them; or the ingot or other article may be otherwise supported. The trucks
may be provided with rollers for supporting heavy guns or other cylindrical
articles, as shewn in Figure 8.
On Sheet 3, Figure 12 is an elevation of a duplex steam hammer constructed
according to my Invention, and suitable for very heavy forgings, as the hammer
blocks may be of great weight, and may be conveniently made in pieces.
Figure 18 is a sectional elevation, and Figures 14 and 15 are transverse sections
of the same.
a, a, are the hammer blocks supported by or mounted on eight
sets of rollers b, b, running on and guided by the rails and bed plates c, c. The
requisite to-and-fro motion in opposite directions is given to the hammer
blocks a by the direct action of two steam cylinders placed at d, d; the piston
rods of these cylinders are connected to the hammer blocks, and the valves of
both cylinders are worked simultaneously by a sliding bar or rod, which is
actuated by a steam piston fixed upon it near the middle of its length. The
simultaneous to-and-fro motion of the hammer blocks is governed or regulated
by the right and left handed screws e, e; these screws are of such a pitch that
the to-and-fro motion of the nuts f cause them to rotate; these nuts aro con-
nected to the hammer blocks, and a packing made of thin layers of kamp-
tulicon and woollen cloth or other suitable substances is placed on each side of
the nuts to prevent concussion. A similar packing is also placed on each end
of the screw shaft between the bearing in which it rotates and the shoulder in
the bed plate c. As the hammer blocks approach or recede from each other,
the nuts facting on the right and left-handed screws cause them to rotate
alternately in contrary directions, and as both screws are cut on the same
shaft, any irregularity that might occur in the relative motions of the hammer
blocks is prevented. The axles of each set of rollers are connected by side
plates 6', to keep the rollers at their proper distance apart, and in order to
keep each set of rollers in its proper place, I fix a spur pinion 6 to one of the
axles, which pinions gear in the lower racks c' fixed to the bed plate c, and
in the racks a fixed to the hammer blocks a; or the blocks may be supported
by rollers revolving in fixed bearings, thus dispensing with the racks and pinions.
When this improved duplex hammer is at work, the shaft or other article
under operation is supported at 9 on a truck running upon cross tramways,
as shewn in Figure 20, and in finishing a shaft or other article swages of the
requisite shape, as shewn at g', may be hooked on the bammer faces, or

page_text: otherwise connected to the hammer blocks. When shafts or other articles
have to be hammered on the ends or "upset," the projections a² may be
brought into operation, or in shorter articles the "upsetting" can be done by
the shoulders a³.
Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 are four views of another of my improved duplex
steam hammers constructed according to a modification of my Invention. In
this arrangement the steam cylinders d are attached to the hammer blocks a,
and the piston of each cylinder is a fixture, being attached to the piston rod d'
and standard d²; by admitting the steam alternately at each side of the fixed
pistons the cylinders and hammer blocks are moved to and fro. The motion
of the hammer blocks is governed, to render their actions simultaneous, by the
endless chain h passing around the pulleys h'; the upper side of the chain is
_connected to the left-hand hammer block, and the lower side to the right-
hand hammer block, by this means the approaching and receding motions
are rendered uniform; or the same object may be obtained by the right and
left handed screws above described. In other respects this hammer is similar
to the one above described, and similar letters are placed upon corresponding
parts.
On Sheet 4, Figure 20 represents in elevation a modification of my improved
duplex steam hammers. a, a, are the hammer blocks, mounted on wheels b
running on rails or guides c; the requisite uniform to-and-fro motion is given
to the hammer blocks by the steam cylinder d, to the piston rod cross head of
which are jointed the links c'. The upper ends of these links are jointed to
the trunnions of the bars a', passing through the blocks a. To each hammer.
block a is connected by side links the additional block a to increase or
modify the force of the blow. The carriage k, running upon cross rails c³, is
to support the ingot, shaft, or other article to be operated. upon.
Figure 21 is an elevation of another of my improved steam hammers.
In this instance the hind wheels 6 of the hammer blocks a are supported on
inclined rails c, so that the force of the blow is increased by the action of
gravitation.
In Figure 22, the hammer blocks a, a, vibrate on fixed centres, and the
hammer blocks are supported on the radius rods b', the fixed centres or fulcra
of which are on the brackets c. The steam cylinder d and links c¹ impart
the requisite to-and-fro motion to the hammer blocks, as described in respect
to Figure 1. The fula or fixed centres of the radius rods in which the
hammer blocks vibrate may be overhead, and carried by cross beams or other-
wise; which beams may also support the steam cylinder.
Figure 23 represents another modification of my improved steam hammers.

page_text: The hammer blocks a, a, are mounted on wheels running on the guide
rails c; the steam cylinder d gives the requisite to-and-fro motion to the
hammer blocks by the links e', vibrating arms &, and links e, as clearly shewn
in the Drawing. The outer ends of the links are jointed to cross pins
passing through the hammer blocks, and these pins can be secured in either of
the holes a, a', and as; by placing the cross pins in either of the holes a² or a³,
it is evident that the distance between the hammer blocks may be increased
according to the size or length of the ingot or other article under operation.
In order to avoid concussion, elastic packings are placed under the blocks
on which the arms e vibrate.
In some
cases an ordinary anvil block
may be used, and the article may be operated upon by two or more hammer
blocks placed at an angle to the anvil, thus acting on three or more faces
simultaneously.
The steam engines for working the hammer blocks, when arranged according
to my Invention, instead of being placed above or below the level of the
hammer blocks, may be placed horizontally, in order to reduce the depth of
foundation and height of building required.
On Sheet 5, Figure 24 is an elevation, and Figure 25 is a plan, of a rolling
and shaping mill for "cogging" or roughing down large ingots of steel or blooms
of iron, or for other similar purposes, constructed according to my improve-
ments. On Sheet 6, Figure 26 is a side elevation of the machine shewn on the
Sheet 5; all these views are drawn partly in section. Figures 27, 28, and 29
are detached views of somo of the parts of the machinery used in shaping
metals, as applied to the above machine, and Figures 30 and 31 are a front
elevation and side view of the gearing for driving the rolling and shaping mill,
shewn in Figures 24, 25, and 26. A, A, are the foundation beams supporting
the compound standards B, each of which is made of two frames, cast sepa-
rately, and united by bolts. In these standards are steps and bearings for
the rolls C and D. These rolls consist of a centre portion cast in one piece
with the journals, and to these centre portions are fixed by bolts or otherwise
the segments C and D', in which are grooves of different shapes and dimen-
sions, as shewn best in Figure 26. These segments are capable of being
removed when worn or injured, or when desired for changing the pattern, to
allow others to be put in their places, thus admitting grooves of different
shapes and dimensions in the circumference of the roll, that is to say, each
segment may have grooves varying in number, size, and shape. In Figure 26,
the coinciding segments are for producing a square ingot rolling on the angle,
and the opposite ones are for rolling the same ingots on the flat, but other
desired shapes can be given to the grooves in the segments.

page_text: The requisite pressure on the top roll D is exerted in the following
manner: To one of the standards B is attached the cylinder E furnished with
a piston or plunger connected to the piston rod E¹, to the upper end of which
is fixed the rack E', gearing in the pinion F fixed on the cross shaft F', to
which are also fixed the pinions F gearing into the horizontal racks G, forming
part of the wedges G', which pass between the frames of the compound
standards B; the wedges G¹ act upon the bearings of the top roll D, and their
upper surfaces slide in grooves in the blocks B¹. By this arrangement, when
water under pressure is admitted into the cylinder E, the rack E' rises and
moves the racks G in the direction of the arrow, thus tightening the wedges G',
and pressing the roll D on to the roll C. When the wedges are slackened by
lowering the piston in the cylinder E, to move the racks G in the direction of
the dotted arrow, the roll D is raised by the hydraulic rams H, one of which is
shewn in section in Figure 26; these rams act on the lower blocks or bearings
of the roll D. The pressure of water is kept upon the rams H when the
machine is at work, to hold up the roll D and to keep the upper bearings of
the roll in contact with the wedges.
In Figures 30 and 31, I have shewn in outline my improved arrangement
of gearing for driving the rolls above described; in these views H represent
the cylinders of a pair of ordinary horizontal steam engines, the piston rods of
which are connected to the crank shaft J, indicated by a dotted circle; these
engines, or any others that may be employed for driving the rolls C and D,
are furnished with reversing gear, actuated by hydraulic or other power. On
the crank shaft J is fixed the pinion J', gearing into the wheel K' on the
shaft K, to which is also fixed the pinion K2 gearing into the wheel I', fixed
on the shaft L, to which is also fixed the pinion L gearing into the wheel C³
keyed on the axle of the lower roll C, which drives the upper roll D by the
wheels C and D2; by this train of wheels and pinions the rapid motion of the
crank shaft J is reduced to produce the required slow motion in the rolls, and
by means of the reversing gear the rotary motion of the crank shaft can
be immediately reversed, and with it that of the rolls, thus drawing the ingot
of steel or other article in between the rolls to any extent, and forcing it back
again as often as may be required. The grooved segments C¹ and D¹ are
turned up and repaired in their bearings by turning tools and slide rests of
the usual construction, mounted in angle beams or beds fixed between the
shoulders B of the standards B.
Figures 27, 28, and 29, C and D are two segments attached to the centre
portion of the rolls C and D, either in the position occupied by the segments
C and D', or between them, as shewn; these segments C and D', when

page_text: placed between the segments C and D¹, are secured to the centre portions of
the rolls by bolts passing through dovetailed blocks fitting in corresponding
slots in the centre portion of the rolls. A recess or recesses are made in the
segments, which recesses, when the rolls are together, are of the shape of a
draw hook or other article to be produced; a mass of heated metal is placed
in these recesses, and the oscillations of the rolls with the pressure cause the
mass to assume the shape required.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark that I make no claim to any of the
mechanical parts separately; and I would state that it is not new to employ
two steam hammers acting simultaneously in opposite directions, I do not
therefore claim to do so generally, but limit my claims of improvements in
machinery for hammering metals to the following particulars:-
First, I claim the supporting and guiding the hammer blocks of duplex
steam hammers on wheels or rollers running on rails or other guides, and
giving motion to such hammer blocks, as herein described.
I also claim the combined arrangements for supporting the hammer blocks
of duplex steam hammers and causing them to vibrate on fixed centres by
means of rods and giving motion thereto as herein described.
Secondly, in reference to my improvements in machinery for rolling and
shaping metals, I claim the combination of compound rolls, having segments
containing grooves and recesses of various shapes and dimensions, with a
steam engine capable of being reversed by steam or hydraulic power to move
the rolls alternately in opposite directions, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsbottom, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
J. RAMSBOTTOM. (L.S.)