IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STRIPS OR BANDS, OF STEEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, and John Jones
Harney, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Crinoline Manufacturers;
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STRIPS OR
BANDS, OF STEEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 3rd May 1859, and dated the 6th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Jackson, Aaron
Fisher, and John Jones Harney at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their. Petition, on the 6th November 1858.
We, JAMES JACKSON, AARON FISHER, and JOHN JONES HARNEY, of Sheffield,
in the County of York, Crinoline Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STRIPS
OR BANDS OF STEEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
Heretofore in the manufacture of thin strips of steel for making crinoline
for ladies' skirts and other purposes, strips of steel have been first annealed,
then cleaned on the surface by being immersed in dilute sulphuric acid, and
afterwards submitted to the cold rolling process, to re-luce them to the thinness
required, which process is tedious, expensive, and requires great care; orsteel
has been first drawn into wire, and then cold rolled to the desired size.
Now, the first part of our Invention consists in rolling or otherwise reducing
the strips or rods of steel or steel wire in; a heated state, by which means the
steel is reduced to the required thinnesswith greater facility than when rolled
cold and in carrying out this part of our Invention, we propose to use an
improved construction of furnace, which is placed near to the rolls for the

page_text: purpose of heating strips of steel, small sheets, rods, or narrow strips,
previous to their being rolled.
The improved furnace may also be employed for heating steel when drawn
into wire, so that the wire may be immediately rolled whilst in a heated
state to the required width and thickness. For this purpose a furnace is con-
structed having a series of tubes connected at each end to a water-box.
These tubes may be arranged on one or both sides of the channel or space
left, where the steel is heated either in a square or in the form of part of a
circle, so as to form the grate of the furnace, and water is caused to circulate
through the tubes to keep them cool. The fuel is placed upon these bars,
and a blast of air is admitted beneath the tubes, and passes through the
fuel to support combustion. Throughout the length of the furnace is a
channel or tube, into which the steel strips, steel rods, or steel wire may be
passed slowly, instead of subjecting them to the action of the naked fire.
By this means the steel is effectually prevented from being over heated, and
then the strip, rod, or steel wire may be passed immediately through the
rolls in a heated state, instead of subjecting such sheets, strips, rods, or
wire to the process of cold rolling, as at present practised.
A modification of the above described furnace may be adapted by using
hydrogen or combustible gas instead of ordinary fuel; it is constructed as
follows: A hollow plate forms the floor or bed of the furnace, which is
divided into several passages, into which gas and air are alternately admit-
ted, so that as complete combustion as possible may take place. The heated
flame obtained by the gas and air is covered with a dome or bonnet, to con-
centrate the heat. This dome or bonnet may be made of any material which
will resist the heat generated by the combustion of the gas and air. The
passages in the hollow plate are perforated with holes, so as to admit jets of
gas and air alternately. The steel in strips, rods, or drawn into wire, &
which is intended to be heated, is introduced and passed slowly through
the apparatus, and when sufficiently heated, it may be passed through the
rolls, as before explained.
Heretofore, strips of steel which had been reduced to the desired thinness
by cold rolling, have been cut into such narrow strips as might be required
by means of circular shears.
Now, the second part of this Invention relates to dividing or separating
the strips by stamping or punching out any required number of strips of
steel, of any such width as may be desired, instead of cutting them singly,
or after the manner of shears.
The machine consists of a slotted bed and a punch, which works in a slide,

page_text: to ensure its accurately fitting into the corresponding slot made in the bed.
The piece of steel to be punched is placed upon the bed, and pressure is
applied to the puuch, which pierces through the steel and separates it by
cutting out a small strip or wire of the size of the punch used, which corre-
sponds with the spaces left for it in the bed. This operation is repeated
until the whole length of the strip is cut in pieces.
A modification of the above may be made by forming a revolving cylinder
of discs of steel, which discs are separated from each other by circular discs of
iron, which form the spaces between the steel discs, and are of the exact
width of the strips of steel required to be pierced; another similarly formed
cylinder is fitted above or beneath the first described cylinder, the steel
discs of which fit in the spaces left in the other cylinder first described.
The sheet or strip of steel to be divided is placed on a table, and as the
cylinders revolve, the strip or sheet of steel is drawn forward and passed'
between the discs, so that as the cylinders revolve, a very narrow strip
may be pierced out, which will separate or divide the wide strips into
narrow ones, as before described.
The furnaces now used for the purpose of heating the strips of steel when
cut to the required size, prior to their being hardened, are expensive, and
consume a large quantity of fuel, and are liable to over heat the steel.
The third part of the Invention relates to the application or use of the
furnace already described in the first part of the Invention for heating steel
before it is rolled, for the purpose of heating the strips of steel prior to
their being hardened, in order to obtain a degree of heat completely under
control. By this means the danger of burning the steel is avoided, and an
economy of fuel is effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, and John Jones Harney
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
JACKSON, AARON FISHER, and JOHN JONES HARNEY, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, Crinoline Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,

page_text: the said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, and John Jones Harney, Her special
license that we, the said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, and John Jones
Harney, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, and John Jones Harney, our 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 MANUFACTURE OF STRIPS OR BANDS OF
STEEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher,
and John Jones Harney, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of some or one of us, 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 we, the said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, and
John Jones Harney, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
:
Heretofore, in the manufacture of thin strips of steel for making crinoline
for ladies' skirts and other purposes, rods, bars, or pieces of steel have been
first annealed, then cleaned on the surface by being immersed in dilute sul-
phuric acid, and afterwards submitted to the cold rolling process to reduce
them to the thinness required; they are then cut into strips of the required
size or width, and hardened and tempered by any convenient plan, but usually
by a process patented by James Chesterman, which consists in passing the
heated strips of steel between cold dies, and afterwards tempering them by
passing them over gas. This process however is tedious, expensive, and
requires great care. Steel has also been first drawn into wire, and then cold
rolled to the desired size, but this process is also inconvenient and expensive.
The first part of our Invention of improvements in the manufacture of strips
or bands of steel, and in the machinery or apparatus to be employed therein,
consists in rolling, or otherwise reducing to the required thinness, the strips or
rods of steel or steel wire while in a heated instead of a cold state as heretofore,
By this means the steel is reduced to the required thinness with greater facility

page_text: than when rolled cold, and in carrying out this part of our Iuvention we
prefer to use certain improved constructions of furnaces, which it is pro-
posed for greater convenience to place near to the rolls for the purpose of.
heating thebars,strips, orrods of steel or steel wire previous to their being rolled.
The furnaces which may be employed for this purpose, admit of consider-
able variation in form and construction, but we find the forms or constructions
hereafter described to be the most convenient, although we do not intend to
confine ourselves only to the use of those shewn and hereafter described.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section,
and Fig. 2 a plan view of one of our improved furnaces. This furnace is
built with a grate on each side, and a long space is left in the centre to
serve as a heating chamber. a, a, are the two fire-grates, which may, if pre-
ferred, be formed of hollow tubes, having water circulating therein for the
purpose of keeping them cool; b is a channel or space which may be called the
heating chamber; c, c, are the ash-pits; and d, the flue for the smoke and gases
to pass off. The draught of the fire is regulated by a damper, as is well under-
stood. The strips or bars of steel are heated in the chamber b, which can be
made of any length or width, so as to admit of a long piece or strip of steel
being heated in one straight piece, or it may be coiled several times within
the chamber b, which extends the entire length of the furnace, and is pro-
vided with doors at each end, so that it can be opened at both ends, whereas
furnaces on the present construction for heating steel will not admit of so
doing; because the fire is placed at the end of the heating chamber. In the
ground plan, Fig. 2, the heating space or chamber is also seen at b, and
a, a, are the fire grates; d", d*, are the two doors or openings into the
heating chamber; and e, e, e, e, are the doors at the end to feed the fires.
Another form of furnace for heating thin strips or rods of steel or steel wire
is shewn in transverse vertical section at Fig. 3. In this instance the furnace
is heated by gas, and the combustion is assisted by jets of air. The gas and
air are supplied to sets of tubes, which are so arranged that the gas and air
tubes are placed alternately at the bottom of the heating chambers, and run
the whole length of the furnace. The tubes are all pierced with koles for jets
of gas or air to pass through; the tubes marked g, g, are supplied with gas,
while those marked f, f, are for the admission of blasts of air, so that a rapid
combustion of the gas may be kept up in the heating chamber 6, in which is
placed a tube, vessel, or chamber c made of fire-clay or other suitable material,
and which is intended to receive the strips or rods of steel or steel wire. This
tube may either be closed air-tight or left open to serve as a guide to the
strips of steel which are or may be passed slowly through the furnace whilst

page_text: they are being heated. In order to concentrate the heat on the heating
chamber, the furnace is closed or covered in by a bood or cover h, made of
any suitable material. It will be seen that the heating chamber b for receiving
the strips of steel is placed in a horizontal position, but in some cases it will
be found more advantageous and convenient to place the heating tube or
chamber in a vertical position, and to cause the heat from the combustion
of the gas to rise from the lower part of the tube or chamber and pass out
at the top. Au arrangement of this kind is shewn in the accompanying
Drawing at Figures 4 and 5, and is intended not only for heating strips of
steel or steel wire previous to rolling them down to the required thinness,
but is also particularly applicable for heating thin strips of steel for the
hardening and tempering processes, as will be described under the third
head of our Invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus; and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of part of the same. a, a, is the vertical pipe or chamber
which forms the heating chamber; this pipe may be made of iron, fire-clay,
or other suitable material. It is supported by moveable brackets. b, b, which
work between the pillars or guides c, c, and upon which they are made to slide
when the pipe requires to be raised from the bason d, so as to ignite the gas at
the burner e, at which point the gas and current or blast of air are united in
one pipe and nozzle. A plate of metal is fixed on the top of the bason, in
which a hole is made to receive the bason-d, and forms a circular table; fis'a
gas chamber made of iron, and through which a pipe g passes to convey the
current or blast of air, so that it may unite or mingle with the gas at the nozzle
or burner e, and produce an intense heat, which passes up the pipe a. The
steel strips are heated by passing them through the furnace, as in the former
instance (that is to say) down the pipea; and they are guided into and through
this pipe by rollers placed at the top of the pipe, and by means of the heat
generated by the ignited gas in the pipe, and assisted by the current of air
which issues from the burners, the steel becomes gradually heated in its pro-
gress through the furnace or down the pipe, and on reaching near the point of
exit it comes in contact with the flame, and is subjected to the greatest heat so
as to be ready for rolling. The pipe a and the parts connected there with
are supported by chains attached to the upper end thereof, and passing
over pullies at the top of the apparatus. The weight of the pipe and its
appendages is counterbalanced.by weights attached to the opposite ends of
the chains, and therefore the pipe may be lifted up in its guides with facility.
The other parts shewn-in the Drawing relate more particularly to the after
processes of hardening and tempering, and will therefore be again referred
to under the third head of our Invention.

page_text: The second part of our Invention relates to the dividing or separating broad
strips of steel rolled to the desired thinness into any required number of
narrow strips. At present broad strips of cold rolled steel are cut into
narrow single strips, by means of shears before they are hardened or tempered.
This is a tedious and expensive operation, and under the present head of our
Invention we propose first to harden and temper broad strips or sheets of
steel, such as those produced by our first improvement, and then to divide
such broad strips or sheets into strips of the proper width for crinoline steel.
The machine which we intend to use for this operation consists of a slotted
bed and a moveable jaw, provided with projecting punches. The moveable
jaw works in a slide or in vertical grooves to insure its accuracy in working,
and the punches are made to fit into corresponding slots made in the
stationary bed.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 6 is a partial section of the punching
or cutting tool for dividing sheets of steel into narrow strips; Fig. 7 is an
end elevation of the same. a, a, is the bed plate, in the surface of which
are made grooves b, b, to receive the punches c, c, of the upper and move-
able part of the apparatus. The sheet of metal to be operated upon is
placed upon the bed a, and pressure is applied by communicating motion
to the moveable jaw d, which causes the punches c, c, to come down and
pierce through the steel, and separate it into strips of the required width
by cutting out a small strip or wire of the width of the punches, and corres-
ponding with the spaces or slots made in the bed. This operation is
repeated until the whole length of the sheet of steel is cut in pieces or strips
of the required width.
It will be seen that the lower edges of the punches are not parallel with
the upper surface of the bed plate. One end of the punches will therefore
come in contact with the sheet of steel before the other, and the steel will be
punched with greater facility and less labor than if the entire surface of the
punches were to come into operation simultaneously. We would observe that
sometimes we find it convenient to make the punches c, c, of such a width as
will admit of them punching out or separating from the sheet strips of steel
of such a width as may be used for some purposes, instead of making wasters
by cutting or punching out narrow strips of no value.
A modification of the above may be made by forming a revolving cylinder
of discs of steel, which discs are separated from each other by circular discs of
iron, which formn the spaces between the steel discs, and are made the exact
width of the strip of steel required to be pierced. Another similarly formed
cylinder is fitted above or beneath the first-described cylinder, the discs of

page_text: which fit in the spaces left in the other cylinder first described. A cutting
apparatus of this kind is shewn in front elevation at Fig. 8. A and B are two
cylinders or rollers composed of alternate discs of steel and iron, as above
mentioned, the thin steel discs of one cylinder being made to enter and work
in the narrow grooves of the other. These rollers are mounted in a frame,and
are geared together by toothed wheels on their axles, so that they may be
made to rotate in unison. The sheet or strip of steel to be divided is placed
on a table, shewn in red lines in the Drawing, and as the cylinders revolve
the wide strip or sheet of steel is drawn forward through properly adjusted
guides, and is passed between the discs, so that as the cylinders revolve a
very narrow strip or wire may be pierced or punched out, which will separate
or divide the wider strips into narrow ones, as before described.
The third part of our Invention relates to the hardening and tempering of
steel by the use of furnaces constructed and heated in such a manner as will
prevent the steel strips from being over heated and thereby damaged. The
furnaces now used for the purpose of heating the strips of steel when cut to
the required width prior to their being hardened, are expensive and consume
a large quantity of fuel, and are liable to over heat the steel.
The furnaces already described under the first head of our Invention may
be employed for the purpose of hardening and tempering steel, and for this
purpose we prefer to use a furnace in which the heat is obtained by the
combustion of gas in combination with atmospheric air; and the form of
furnace which will be found most convenient for the purpose is that shewn at
Figures 4 and 5, in which the heating chamber is placed vertically. The
strips of steel are fed into the tube a over rollers placed at the top of the tube,
for the purpose of facilitating the entrance and passage of the strips of steel
into the tubular heating chamber, and by means of the inflamed gas and
current of air which issues from the burner at the lower end of the tube, the
steel becomes gradually heated in its progress down the tube, and on reaching
near the point of exit it comes into contact with the flame of the ignited gas,
and is therefore at this point subjected to the greatest heat. Immediately
they pass this point the strips of steel are conducted out of the furnace by
means of another set of small guide rollers, and are caused to enter into the
box or chest i made of suitable dimensions, and filled with a composition of
clay, fire brick, or any porous substance saturated with oil or other analogous
matter, which by acting directly upon the heated steel hardens it; the
hardened strips are then passed through a heated chamber not shewn in the
Drawing, but containing charcoal, sand, or bone dust, in order to temper

page_text: them. When discharged from this last-mentioned chamber, the strips of
crinoline steel will be found to be properly hardened and tempered.
Having now described our Invention of improvements in the manufacture
of strips or bands of steel, and in the machinery or apparatus to be employed
therein, we claim in reference to the manufacture of thin strips or bands
of steel,-
First, heating the steel previous to passing it between the rollers, whereby
the subsequent operation of rolling in order to reduce it to the thinness
required to render it applicable for the intended purpose will be much
facilitated. We also claim the use and application for the purposes herein
set forth of the furnaces above described, together with the arrangement or
adaptation of these furnaces or similar ones placed in close connection with
the rollers, thereby enabling the workman to heat and roll one long continuous
piece or strip to the degree of thinness required.
Second, we claim the mode or modes above described for separating or
dividing a wide strip or sheet of steel into any required number of narrow
strips.
Thirdly, we claim the use of the apparatus or furnaces described for the
purpose of heating strips of steel prior to their being hardened and tempered.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Jackson, Aaron Fisher, & John
Jones Harney, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Fourth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-nine.
Ppro JOHN JONES HARNEY, (L.S.)
SAMUEL RORK.
Witness to the signatures of James
Jackson, Aaron Fisher, & John
Jones Harney, pr pr Samuel Rork,
CHARLES SANDERSON,
12, St. James St., Sheffield.