CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF METALLIC HOOPS AND TYRES FOR WHEELS, AND IN THE METHOD OF FIXING THE SAME FOR USE, AND ALSO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN GEORGE
BODMER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most 'Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-two, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John George Bodmer, Her
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John
George Bodmer, iny executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as
I, the said John George Bodmer, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF METALLIC HOOPS AND TYRES FOR WHEELS, AND IN THE METHOD OF
FIXING THE SAME FOR USE, AND ALSO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN ;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said ohn George Bodmer, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John George Bodmer,do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
My improvements in the manufacture of metallic hoops and tyres for
wheels, and in the method of fixing the same for use, and also improvements in
the machinery or apparatus to be employed therein, consist principally in an
improved arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus for rolling
or manufacturing metallic hoops and tyres for wheels, so as to give them at
one operation their true shape, and dispensing with the subsequent opera-
tion of being turned in a lathe as now commonly practised. The prin-
ciple feature of novelty in such manufacture was specified under Letters
Patent granted to me by Her present Majesty, Twentieth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, which was duly enrolled, and therein
particularly explained and described with reference to Sheet 7 ofthe Drawings
attached to that Specification; and my present Invention consists partly in an
improved method of carrying out my former Invention, that is, by an improved
arrangement of machinery adapted to such purpose, and partly in certain
entirely novel apparatus connected with the manufacture of metallic hoops and
tyres. But in order that my improvements may be perfectly understood, I
have attached to those Presents three Sheets of Drawings, representing com-
plete and in detail the various apparatus herein-after described, and have
marked the several views with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with the following explanation thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, shewn partly in section, of my
improved machinery for rolling tyres of wheels, and particularly adapted to
railway wheels; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, also partly in section; Fig. 3, a
sectional plau view, taken at the line A, B, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a com-
plete plan or horizontal view of the same,as seen from above. a, the main
driving shaft, in connection with the steam engine or other motive power,
revolves in the pedestal b, which is fixed to the foundation plate c. A mitre or
bevilled wheel d, which is fixed on the shaft a, gears into the wheel e
which is placed on the roller shaft f, and connected therewith by grooves
and feathers, for the purpur of allowing the shaft f to slide up and down
in the boss of the wheel e. The spur pinion g is in a similar manner con-
nected with the shaft f, and gears into the pinion h, which is keyed on the

page_text: other roller shaft 2. The shape of the surface of the roller is such that
it will give the tyre under operation its correct external shape, whilst that
of the roller is adapted for moulding it internally. The bar, after having
been hammered or rolled into a shape most convenient for its finishing process,
is bent into a hoop in the usual manner, and welded (as herein-after to be
described), and it must be understood that before it is welded it must have the
exact weight, or nearly so, which will be required for the finished tyre. A
number of tyres having been thus prepared, they are put intoheating furnaces,
which may
be of the usual construction, to be there heated to that degree which
suits the purpose, the heat generally used for rolling not being required for
this operation, inasmuch as its main object is not to lengthen or draw out, but
to impart to the tyre its perfect shape and size, and to compress the iron as
much as possible. The tyre having attained the proper degree of heat, is taken
out of the furnace and brought to the rolling mill, (either by dragging it over
a bridge of plates or bars connecting the furnace with the mill, and coming to a
level with the table m, (or by lifting it with a crane), and is moved into the
groove of the roller k, as shewn in Fig. 1; this table m may be provided with
rollers to carry the tyres,similar to those marked f, f, in Fig. 4, Sheet 2. The
shaft fis then raised by lowering the weight o into the position in which it is
drawn, and the wedge u is brought under the step v. The mechanism by
which the shaft f, with the roller at its top, is lowered for the purpose of
allowing the tyre to pass over it, and raised again into the proper position for
action, is as follows: The wedge u having been moved outwards, the levern,
with its weight o, is raised by the fly wheel t, the pinion s, the spur wheel r,the
chain pulley and the chain p, and vice versa. The rollers and k being now
in their proper position for working, and revolving at their full speed, and the
roller on the theshaft being screwed towards the roller l, it is evident that
the tyre, which lies flat on the table m, will undergo the process of rolling,
which will be continued without intermission until the tyre has attained its
exact diameter and shape; for the purpose of clearing the tyre of its "scale,"
and imparting as much hardness as possible, a powerful stream of water is
poured upon it as soon as the tyre approaches its full diameter, within a
quarter of an inch or nearly so, and it is just left warm enough to contract
sufficiently when put upon the wheel. It is not necessary to stop the rollers
entirely during the time a finished tyre is removed and a fresh one put on, it
is sufficient to diminish their speed. The roller shaft i works with its lower
end in a cyclindrical step y, which is placed in the bearing or frame z, which is
fixed to the frame A by bolts; the frame A itself is fixed by bolts to the
foundation plate c, which is again secured by strong bolts to a founda-

page_text: tion of stone. The step is made cylindrical, in order that it may accom-
modate itself to the various degrees of inclination of the shafti; the box B,
in which the step y is lodged, is fixed into its proper position by means of
the set screw C and packings on the opposite side. To the top of
the frame A the bracket or frame D is fixed, in which the bearing E
slides; this bearing is supported by trunnions moving in the grooves F (see
Figs. 1, 2), and acted upon by means of the screw G, the spur wheel H,
the pinions, and the fly wheel t. As there are a few teeth omitted on the
circumference of the spur wheel r (see Diagram, Fig. 6), the same will remain
stationary when the weight o is in the position in which it is shewn and during
the time the screw Gis worked; and it is evident that in whatever direction
the wheel is turned by the pinion s, it will never make an entire revolution.
The bearing E is connected with the screw G in such a manner that it will
follow the same in both directions, and the shaft i is held down during the
operation of rolling by the plug I, the cross head K, and the rods L, which
move on the trunnions M. In the plan view, Fig. 4, a small tyre is represented
in its position for being rolled, but a red line, representing a tyre of larger
diameter,is drawn merely to shew how the guide rollers N, by the slide P, and
the press rollers X, by means of the slot in the slide P and the bracket W,
can be set to accommodate tyres of various diameters when being rolled. The
shaft of these guide rollers works in sockets O (see Fig. 1), which are fixed to
the slides P. These slides work in the frames Q, and are simultaneously
advanced towards the tyres by means of the screws R, the spur wheels S, the
spur wheels T,and the connecting shaft U,and are caused to recede by the same
means as the tyre expands; previously to the tyre being brought between the
rollers and l, the guide rollers N are set into that position in which the tyre
will touch them as well as the roller k, or nearly so, and the tyre will thus be
compelled to work on three points, and caused to run perfectly steady and round
during the operation. The guide rollers N can be brought into their proper
position by disengaging one of the wheels S from the screw R, by means of the
-headed set screws V. It is evident that in proportion as the tyre increases in
diameter the guide rollers N must recede, which is effected by means of a
cross or crank fixed to the ends of the screws R; it may also be done by
gearing connected with the machinery. On the slide P a bracket W is
fixed by means of a bolt, and in this bracket the roller X is placed, which
roller is slightly conical, and works at such an angle as to touch or bear on
the edge of the tyre under operation, and keep it steady between the said
roller and the table m. There is a slot in the slides P, by means of which
the position of the rollers X can be adjusted to the diameter of the tyre under

page_text: operation. The table m is fixed to a bracket 1, which is fixed by bolts to a
projection of the frame Q; a stud 2 is fixed into the projection 3, on which the
lever 4 works; and this lever is pulled by the spiral spring 5,and is connected
with the index or hand 6 by the rod 7. The hand 6 works on a fulcrum stud
on a projection 8, and points at the top to the index plate 9, which is to be
graduated, so as to shew the diameter of the tyre. There is a sliding bush 10,
which hinges at 11 on the lever 4, and in that sliding bush the rod 12 slides;
at the end of this rod there is a bush 13, in which a roller 14 works. The
rod 12, &c., is supported by the roller 15, which moves on the table or plate m,
and the bearing of this roller, in which the bar 12 also slides, is staid or con-
nected by the angular rod 16 to the shaft 17 (see Fig. 4). It is evident that
by applying the multiplying guage, just now described, to the inside of the tyre,
the roller 14 will be drawn by the spring 5 against the inside of the tyre under
operation, and will, as the ring or tyre extends by rolling, indicate its diameter
upon the index plate 9. A multiplying lever guage of any suitable description
can be fixed to the table m, (touching with a roller the tyre under operation,)
by which the exact diameter of the tyre may be ascertained. Although the tyre
is during the operation cooled by a heavy stream of water, it is still left hot
enough when finished to be put on the wheel, which is laid on a turned plate
suspended over a water tank by means of a crane or lever, hereafter more
particularly described. As soon as the tyre is dropped over the wheel, the
plate with the wheel and tyre on are lowered into the water, when the tyre
will contract sufficiently to fit tightly on the wheel. The perphory of the
wheel itself must be turned as usual before the tyre is put on, otherwise the
tyre and wheel would not be perfectly connected, nor the tyre remain round.
It is quite clear that the tyres manufactured on this principle must be much
more durable and much stronger than those that undergo the process of
turning after they have been put on the wheels, as, in the latter case, the
hardest iron is invariably removed by turning off the surface.
Fig. 5 is a section of a tyre for a common carriage wheel, as used on high
roads. The process above described of manufacturing tyres is qualified to
impart to common carriage wheel tyres the most advantageous shape, not only
with regard to durability, but also with regard to their easy action on the road,
they being arched or circular in their sectional figure. It is evident that
when the internal circumference of the tyre is made concave to the extent that
when red hot it will just drop over the convex surface of the wheel, when cooled
in water, as usually done, it will contract so as to bind and hold firmly to the
wheel without the assistance of nails and screws. The strength of these tyres

page_text: will be greater than that of ordinary tyres, though less material is employed in
their manufacture.
It it most important, that in order to ensure the soundness and strength
of metallic hoops and tyres, that the bars of iron should be prepared in
such a manner as to keep the fibres, of the iron as little displaced or dis-
turbed as possible in reducing the mass which comes from the puddling
furnace into a bar. A sudden reduction of a lump of iron into a bar of smaller
dimensions, by whatever means accomplished, will, to a certain degree;derange
the fibres of the iron. For the purpose of obviating such inconveniences, I
employ a machine suitably constructed for this purpose, and represented in
Sheet 2 of the Drawings; Fig. 1 being an end elevation, and Figure. 2 a
plan view of the same. The rollers a, a,,a, are placed in the pedestals b, b; b;
which are fitted into the frames c, and are connected with their driving wheels
by means of shafts and couplings, and are connected with the engine in the
usual manner. The rollers a, a, must be of a sufficient diameter, not only for
the purpose of presenting a sufficiently large contact to the iron under opera-
tion, but also for the purpose of allowing room enough between the pedestals,
couplings, and shafts for the lumps of iron to be put between them and removed
therefrom. Suppose, now, the rollers a, a, a, to be about eighteen inches in
diameter, or more or less, and revolving at a speed of about ninety to one
hundred and twenty revolutions a minute, or more or less, as may be found
convenient, the top roller to be elevated by means of strong screws d, the spur
wheels e, the pinion /, and the fly wheel g, on which the said pinion is fixed,.to
such a height as to allow the lump coming direct from the puddling furnace to
be placed between the rollers. The top roller a is held to its sliding bearing
by a bridle, so that when the screws d are moved upwards the top roller is
also lifted up. A trough his fixed to the frame c, into which the lump of iron
is deposited when it comes from the puddling furnace; and by means of a bar
conveniently shaped for the purpose, the lump is slipped from the trough /
between the rollers a, a, a, which operation is easily performed while the rollers
are running at full speed.. The fly wheel g is then turned round, and the top
roller a, by means of the screws and wheels already explained, pressed down
upon the lump of iron, which in this manner is compressed by degrees, and in
such a manner that the dross or slack is squeezed out gently, though quickly,
and the lump is gradually formed into a perfectly round and solid bar. The
moment the bar is considered sufficiently compressed, the top roller a is again
elevated by the same mechanism by which it was depressed; the bar is pushed.
out from between the rollers and another mass introduced:
i is a platform

page_text: partly fixed to the frame c, and partly supported by legs, upon which the
operator stands to turn the fly wheel g. In operating upon the iron in this
manner, the welding and compressing of the porous mass is much more advan-
tageously performed than in the common manner, and not only the surface of
the bar will be much closer than in iron treated in the ordinary manner, but
also the whole mass of iron will be more equally compressed and much more
fit for the subsequent operation of rolling. The extreme ends of the bar,
which will have been least operated upon, may be cut off." And the applica-
tion of this machinery is equally advantageous to the manufacturing of
iron employed for any other purposes, when such apparatus is applied directly
to the puddling furnace. For the operation of the machine above described in
Sheet 1, the tyre bars are rolled or hammered into their required shape as
near as is considered most convenient for the subsequent operation.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 3, an improved machine is represented, by means of
which a tyre may be produced from a hoop not so near its true shape, or
even from a hoop made from a flat bar. The principal part of the inachi-
nery is similar to the machine above described, except that the frame of
the rolling mill is so constructed as to admit a cross or top roller u, by means
of which the tyre b, which is under operation, is not only acted upon by
the roller c and roller d, but in the proportion as the equal extension of the
iron will require it, the cross roller a is depressed by a mechanism similar
to and connected with that shewn in Fig. 1, Sheet I., or the bar may be com-
pressed in the manner shewn in Fig. 34. The top roller a is represented in
Fig. 4, with its axis drawn through the centres of the rollers c and d, the line
of its axis, however, must be at such an angle as to allow the roller to act upon
the whole breadth of that surface of the tyre exposed to its pressure succes-
sively as the tyre revolves, lest a portion of the inner edge of the tyre should
be forced between the roller c and this top roller a. The set or guide rollers
e, e, in Fig. 4, are similar to those described in Sheet I., the only variation is
in the construction of the frame. A pair of long rollers f, placed diagonally
into the table g, support the tyre under operation; and in some cases, particu-
larly for the purpose of facilitating the perfect rounding of the tyre at the
commencement of the operation, and also to facilitate the guaging of the tyre,
I place two slides h, with guide rollers i, to operate upon the inner side of the
tyre; those slides are connected by means of a screw k,cut left and right, which
is acted upon by means of a pulley 1, worked by a rope m and a weight n, by
means of which the two slides h are equally pressed against the inner side of
the tyre, and keep it steady during the operation. It is here unnecessary to
representa complete frame to which the parts of the machinery are connected,

page_text: as this is sufficiently shewn in Sheet I. A variation of the rollers a, c, and d,
which is merely in their shape, and in the manner in which they bear upon
the tyre,
is shown in Figs. 3× and 4×.
Figs. 5 and 6 is another machine by means of which tyres may be
rolled; in this case, an inside wheel a, of cast iron or other suitable metal
cast to a shaft b, is placed into a tube c, in which it revolves horizontally.
The tube c slides in the frame d up and down, and by means of the shaft
and crank e, and the connecting rod f, the inside wheel or mould d is
elevated into the position as shewn in red lines; and when in this position,
the tyre is taken out as usual from the heating furnace and placed on to
the rollers g, which can be closed and separated at pleasure by means of
steps and bearings in which they work, and a left and right handed screw on
one bar between them, or by any other suitable contrivance. Suppose, now,
the tyre to be placed in that position in which it is shewn in Fig. 5, and the
inside wheel or mould let down upon it, the machine started, and the roller g
extended by means of the said screw, it is evident that as long as the tyre
remains less in its diameter than the inside diameter of the mould a, the tyre
under operation will form an oval, as shewn in red lines in Fig.6,it will there-
fore constantly be in motion upon its surface, and in this manner get clear of
its "scale" or "slag"; a number of slots or holes marked X are cast in the
disk of the mould a, and a bead is formed round the top of the mould for the
purpose of allowing a sufficient supply of water to pour upon the tyre under
operation. As soon as the tyre has been extended to the full diameter, the
mould is raised by the mechanism by which it was lowered before the table*
is lifted up to the level of the table h, by means of a lever and counterbalance,
and brings the tyre in that position from which it can be drawn over the rollers
and the table h, and another tyre can be put in. It is here to be observed that
the table is connected with the shaft e above in such a manner as to drop
into the place in which it is shewn when the mould comes down, and when the
mould is lifted up to a distance sufficiently wide to allow the tyre to be pulled
out between the table h and the mould, the table x follows into that position
in which it is shewn in dotted red lines. The tyre may also be shaped in a
similar mould by means of a single inside roller of large diameter revolving
against the inner surface of the tyre, or by a stronger mould on a similar con-
struction placed in a press (hydraulic or other) furnished with a suitable
mandril, and of power sufficient to compress the metal and fill the mould,
and give the required form.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a machine made for the purpose of putting or
fixing the tyres on the wheels for use as they are finished by the rolling mill.

page_text: To the bottom of a tank a, a tube or guide b is fixed, in which a cylinder c
slides up and down, bearing upon a cross head d, which is connected through
the slots e, with the leversf, by means of the rods g. A strong cast-iron plate
h is fixed to the top of the cylinder c; 4, 6, or 8 V grooves are planed or cast
into the plate h, for the purpose of shifting from the periphery, towards the
centre, 4, 6, or even 8 bearers i, upon which the wheel k is laid down, when
the bar or lever / is open, as shewn in red lines. The slide m fits the square
bar n in such a manner as to slide easily upon it, and it is held down upon the
wheel by a nut, and so secures the wheel upon its bearers i, see plan, Fig. 7*.
The tyre is then taken from the mill still warm enough to slip over the wheel,
the lever is pressed down and secures the tyre in its place whilst the
contraction takes place. The moment the tyre is thus secured, the counter-
poise f* on the lever f is raised, and the plate h with the wheel on it dropped
into the cold water contained in the tank a, a.
The above description referring only to such tyres of wheels as are to be
employed on railways and ordinary roads, I have now to describe the manner
in which I intend to roll or manufacture metallic hoops to be employed for
other descriptions of wheels, such as pulleys used for various mechanical pur-
poses, as are shewn in section in Figs. 9, 10, 11. A section of the hoop alone
is shewn upon a large scale at Fig. 12. When the plates of metal come from
the ordinary rolling mill as commonly used, they have to be prepared by being
shorn or cut in a peculiar manner, and afterwards treated as follows:-
In Sheet 3; Fig. 1 is a sectional view, and Fig. 2 a front view, of a shearing
machine adapted for this purpose, of which only a small portion is represented
in the Drawing, as similar machines are well known in the trade. a, a, is a
strong frame; b, the bottom shaft; and c, the top shaft. A flange d is cast to
the ends of these shafts, in which steel segments e are lodged and fastened by a
washer, secured by the nut g; these segments e, which form cutters or shears,
are similarly constructed to my cutters used for cutting wheels, &c., described
in the Specification of the former Patent. I shew here a mode by which the
edges of the plates are cut at a sharp angle, the use of which will be shewn
hereafter in describing the rollers. A slide or table his worked in the V edges
of the bed i, by the pinion : and the rack b; and the iron plate m, which is to
be cut on the edges, is fixed on the table h by means of the set screws n,
and held down near to the shears e by the rollers o revolving in the bushes p;
these bushes swivel on the studs q, and by meaus of the levers 7 and
weights s, the said rollers are pressed down upon the plate m under
operation; the table may also be arranged in such a manner as to present
the edge of the plate to the cutters under any other required angle.

page_text: Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 shew a series of rollers, by means of which the required
beads or projections along the edges of the plates mare gradually pro-
duced in the process of rolling. The rollers are placed into frames similar
to other rolling mills, and to these frames troughs a are attached at front
and back, as shewn in section in Fig. 3, and in side elevation, Fig. 7.
Suppose, now, the plate m to be about half an inch, or more or less, in
thickness, and to be taken out of the heating furnace at a convenient heat
for rolling, it is laid down into the trough in front of the rollers, made to the
shape as shewn in Fig. 3; it is evident that if these rollers are exactly set, the
plate will be guided in between them by the trough in a perfectly straight direc-
tion, and come out at the other side rolled into the shape or form similar to
Fig. 3; the plate will then return through rollers, as shewn in Fig. 4, by which
the plate will be made somewhat thinner, and the two edges of the plate com-
pressed sideways to such an extent as to add so much to the thickness of the
edges as will be required for the equal elongation of the beads with the
body of the plate. From the rollers, Fig. 4, the plate will go to the rollers,
Fig. 5, where it will undergo a similar operation, and be brought nearer to
its required shape, and after having passed through the rollers shewn in
Fig. 6, the plate will have acquired the proper shape or form, but not its
proper thickness. I shew here one series of rollers, but I do not mean to
confine to their exact forms, as an alteration in the rollers will be required
for the purpose of producing a narrower or broader bead. The plate m,
with the angular edges, as shewn in Fig. 1, Sheet III, may be rolled in
rollers of a shape similar to that shewn in Fig. 9, in which case the pro-
jection or bead would be produced by fewer operations; the rollers in this
case would be required of a larger diameter, because a larger breadth of the
edge would have to be compressed at once. It is quite clear that the square
contents of the section of that portion of the plate whichis bent upward must
be equal or rather more than the square contents of the section of the
groove turned in the roller, which is to be filled up by that portion of the
plate forming the bead. I prefer a proportionably large diameter of rollers,
for the purpose of having a better hold on the edges which are bent
upwards; and I prefer a taper edge, as shewn on plate m, in Fig. 1, because
a square edge would form an imperfect corner at the top of the plate during
the process of rolling, as shewn in Fig. 9.
Fig. 8 shows a pair of finishing rollers, with a pair of small side rollers a,
by means of which the edges of the plate may be compressed to any required
The rollers a are to be set by screws to their required. positious;
they may be slightly grooved for the purpose of being carried round by
extent.

page_text: the plate itself without any gearing, but there would be no difficulty in con-
structing the frame and placing the rollers in such a manner as to apply
geering to them. I have shewn here certain methods by which plates can be
produced, having beads or projections formed along their edges, or having edges
rolled thicker than the plates themselves; it is evident that broader or narrower
plates can be forined by the same means. I do not mean, however, to confine
myself to the identical figures of the rollers, or the beads or projections thus
rolled upon the plates. After the plates so prepared are welded into hoops,
tubes, or cylinders of the required dimensions, they are to be placed between
rollers, as shewn in Fig. 10, on the same machine as explained with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, and undergo exactly the same process of rolling as
the railway wheel tyres. It must be evident that a like arrangement of
machinery is equally applicable to the manufacture of plates or tubes for the
construction of boilers after the manner specified under the above-recited
Letters Patent granted by Her present Majesty, Twentieth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, as well as for vessels of any descrip-
tion, without departing from the principle of my Invention, the chief difference
being in the dimensions.
I would remark, in conclusion, that in all instances, in order to secure perfect
tyres, hoops, or cylinders, it is of great importance to have the m welded in the
most perfect manner, and in an expeditious and safe way. I have, therefore,
constructed a machine adapted to this purpose, which is s hewn in elevation at
Fig. 11, and in plain view at Fig. 12. A strong table a, capacious enough for
the largest diameter required, is fixed upon the framework ; the set slides c
and d move in grooves or slots ex and dx, so that they can be accommodated
to the diameter. Suppose, now, the tyre shewn ate is to be welded, the slidesc
and d are so fixed as to allow the tyre to come exactly between the two dies
f and g, when the tyre,with a welding heat on its joint, is taken from the fire,
which, of course, must be as near the machine as convenient, it is quickly
placed between the dies f and g, and is pressed by the slide and swivel clamp h
against the swivel clamps of the slides c and d, between which it is now firmly
fixed. The handle i is then lifted up, and the catch or click j, by means of
an elbow lever and rod, is then brought into contact with one of the pins kon
the disc, which is put in motion by a pair of wheels, shewn in dotted lines
and the links mare depressed, and the levers o extended. It is evident that
the dies and g, in connection with the levers, will thus be forced towards
the tyre, and compress and firmly weld that portion of the tyre which is
between them. The slides must be so contrived that the dies can be set to
act upon any thickness of metal that may be required. The left-handed

page_text: screw of the slide is for the purpose of setting the slide h to its right
distance; the double screw, however, in which the single one revolves, is
fixed into the cross q, and is connected with the handle by means of a
groove and bolt x, so that a slight motion only of the cross 9 is required to
screw up the clamp of the slide h against the tyre, and fix it firmly between the
clamps h, c, and d. It is quite clear that whilst the tyre is under the operation
of welding, the slides and sets c, d, and h prevent the same from expanding,
and the welding or joint from slipping apart. For the purpose of producing
a good and clean joint for welding, I intend to cut off the end of the tyre
in a bevelled direction, as rails are sometimes cut. The tyre must then be
bent in the ordinary manner, and one rivet may be put through the joint to
prevent it from separating. The same machinery, with some alterations, can
be applied to weld the hoops formed of the plates produced by the rollers, as
heretofore explained with reference to Sheets 2 and 3, which, after this opera-
tion, undergo the process of rolling in the machine before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John George Bodmer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
ray in Chancery.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Seventh day of June,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John George Bodmer came before
our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Eighth day of June, in the year above written.
Inrolled the Eighth day of June, in the year above written.