Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Compound Plates of Iron and Steel.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 17th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Compound Plates of
Iron and Steel.
1, ALEXANDER WILSON of the Cyclops Works, Sheffield in the County of York,
Steel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In a previous Patent granted to me on the 14th day of September 1877 No. 3472
I described an improved method and apparatus for casting a face of steel on to a
backing plate of wrought iron. In that method the plate was taken hot as it came
from rolls or forging machinery and placed on to a flat table off which it was pushed
into a mould which was brought into a horizontal position to receive it. The mould
was then turned on trunnions to bring it into a vertical position and molten steel was
poured into the mould.
My present invention has for its object to improve the machinery used for casting
a facing of steel on to a wrought iron backing plate in this manner or for casting on
both a facing of steel and also a back of soft ingot iron as described in another
application for Patent made by me No. 15476 in the year 1886.
I now cause the wrought iron plate as it comes hot from the forging mechanism to
be placed on to a bed composed of parallel rollers. By means of a bar secured at its
ends to two endless chains one chain on one side of the series of rollers and the other
chain on the opposite side I push the plate over the rollers and into the mould which
as before is mounted on trunnions. On one trunnion is a worm wheel into which is
made to gear a worm fixed on a shaft which by a clutch can be clutched to a driving
shaft in line with it and this driving shaft by another clutch can also be clutched to
another shaft from which by worm and worm wheel gear motion is transmitted to the
endless chains.
When the mould is turned into a vertical position its open top comes below a
listributing trough in the bottom of which are a number of holes at distances apart
long the bottom so that molten metal is simultaneously supplied into the mould along
he whole of its length.

page_text: The metal is supplied to the trough from a ladle carried by a horizontal crane arm
which can be swung around a vertical standard-which approximately is in a line
with the axis or trunnions on which the mould turns so that the ladles may alternately
be brought into a position in which they are filled with molten metal and then
brought over the moulds so as to discharge the molten metal into them.
To facilitate the opening and closing of the mould I form it in two halves held
together by hinged cotter bolts and cotters.
One half of the mould I secure by bolts to a bar at the ends of which are the
trunnions on which the mould is to turn so that the mould can readily be detached
from the trunnions and a fresh one put in its place.
ד
1 1
1013 1
CA:1 1007
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Compound Plates of
Iron and Steel.
I, ALEXANDER WILSON, of the Cyclops Works, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In a previous patent granted to me on the 14th day of September 1877 No. 3472
I described an improved method and apparatus for casting a face of steel on to a
backing plate of wrought iron. In that method the plate was taken hot as it came
from rolls or forging machinery and placed on to a flat table off which it was pushed
into a mould which was brought into a horizontal position to receive it. The mould
was then turned on trunnions to bring it into a vertical position and molten steel was
poured into the mould.
My present invention has for its object to improve the machinery used for casting a
facing of steel on to a wrought iron backing plate in this manner or for casting on
both a facing of steel and also a back of soft ingot iron as described in another
application for Patent made by me No. 15476 in the year 1886.
I now cause the wrought iron plate as it comes hot from the forging mechanism to
be placed on to a bed composed of parallel rollers. By means of a bar secured at its
ends to two endless chains one chain on one side of the series of rollers and the other
chain on the opposite side I push the plate over the rollers and into the mould which
as before is mounted on trunnions. On one trunnion is a worm wheel into which is
made to gear a worm fixed on a shaft which by a clutch can be clutched to a driving
shaft in line with it and this driving shaft by another clutch can also be clutched to
another shaft from which by worm and worm wheel gear motion is transmitted to the
endless chains.
When the mould is turned into a vertical position its open top comes below a
distributing trough in the bottom of which are a number of holes at distances apart
along the bottom so that molten metal is simultaneously supplied into the mould along
the whole of its length.
The metal is supplied to the trough from a ladle carried by a horizontal crane arm
which can be swung around a vertical standard-which approximately is in a line
with the axis or trunnions on which the mould turns so that the ladles may alternately
be brought into a position in which they are filled with molten metal and then
brought over the moulds so as to discharge the molten metal into them.
To facilitate the opening and closing of the mould I form it in two halves held
together by hinged cotter bolts and cotters.
One half of the mould I secure by bolts to a bar or girder at the ends of which are
the trunnions on which the mould is to turn so that the mould can readily be detached
from the trunnions and a fresh one put in its place.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a side elevation
and Figure 3 an end elevation of the apparatus. Figure 4 is a section through the
line A A Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross section of a mould with a heated wrought
iron plate within it on to which molten metal is being cast. Figure 6 is a plan.
Figure 7 a side elevation. Figure 8 a section on the line A A Figure 6 and Figure 9
a section on the line B B Figure 6 of the mould.
"
In Figures 1 to 5 A is the mould supported on trunnions B-C is the worm wheel
on the end of one of the trunnions. This worm wheel has gearing into it a worm D¹
fixed on a shaft D-the axis is in a line with a second shaft E and can be clutched
to it by a clutch E¹. The shaft E is driven by spur gearing from the crank
shaft G of a small steam engine which can be started whenever required-H is a
series of horizontal parallel rollers forming a table in front of the open mouth of
the mould when the mould is turned into a horizontal position as shown at Figure 1-
I is a wrought iron "backing or "intermediate" plate which has been brought
whilst hot from the rolling or forging mill by an overhead crane and laid on to the
rollers H-K is a horizontal girder resting on the supports which carry the rollers H.
At its ends it is secured to endless chains L which pass around and gear with chain
wheels M M¹. The chain wheels M are on the axis of the roller nearest to the mould
and the chain wheels M' on a shaft N which at one end has on it a toothed
wheel Nthis is driven by a pinion O¹ on an intermediate shaft O-the shaft O is
itself driven by a worm wheel 02 fast upon it into which gears a worm P¹ fixed on a
shaft P which shaft is in a line with and can be clutched to the driving shaft E by a
clutch P² whenever the chain wheels are required to be driven.
Qis a trough or spout below which the open mouth of the mould is brought
when the mould is turned into an approximately vertical position - through the
bottom of the trough are a number of openings through which a number of streams R
of metal can be run into the mould. Preferably as they pass into the mould they are
made to run down the face of the plate and thereby impart heat to it--the mould for
this purpose being slightly inclined from the vertical. S is a ladle from which molten
metal can be run into the trough or spout Q. It is carried on a swinging crane arm T
as shewn at Figure 3.
When the mould A has been brought into a horizontal position as shewn at Figure 1
and the plate I has been placed on to the rollers the girder K is by the endless chains
brought against the back end of the plate and presses the plate forwards into the
mould. The driving shaft E is then unclutched from the shaft P and clutched to the
shaft D to turn the mould nearly into a vertical position. The molten metal is then
run into the mould and when it has sufficiently set, the mould is again turned into a
horizontal position. The side of the mould which is uppermost is then detached from
the lower side and taken away-the plate is slid forwards on to the rollers H and
taken off by a crane to a reheating furnace where it may be reheated prior to being
again forged or rolled.
To facilitate the opening and closing of the mould the mould is as shewn at
Figures 6 to 9 formed in two parts which in these figures are marked A, B.
Preferably the lower half is entirely of cast iron and the upper half partly of a
rectangular cast iron rim and a wrought iron top plate secured to it by bolts. To
the wrought iron top plate are boited four eyes by which the upper half B can be
lifted away when it is detached from the lower half. When the inould is closed the
parts A and B are held together by cotter boits D which at one end are hinged to the
part A whilst their other ends pass between lugs B¹ on the part B and have cottars
or wedges D driven through slots formed in them. The lower half of the mould is
as shewn secured by bolts to a strong bar or frame E at the ends of which are the
trunnions E on which the mould is to turn. In this way the lower half can when
worn be quickly removed and a fresh one substituted for it.
To prepare the mould for receiving a hot backing or intermediate plate a layer F
of fire brick or ganister is first spread over the bottom of the part A and on to this
are laid false bottom plates G, G1, G2, so as to protect the bottom of the mould from
the heat of the plate. The edges or sides of the mould are also protected by loose

page_text: plates and the bottom by a block 1 of fire brick or ganister as shewn at
Figures 8 and 9. When the mould has been closed and the hot wrought iron plate
pushed into it the loose plate H¹ is by screws K forced against one edge of the plate,
thereby forcing the opposite edge of the plate against the loose plate H-filling
pieces L of wrought iron are also inserted along the edges of the plate between it and
the wrought iron plate which forms the top of the part B to prevent the hot backing
plate from falling away from the false bottom plates G, G1, G2 when the mould is
turned into a vertical position. The filling pieces are retained by wedges M driven
between them and bars of angle iron N which bear against the backing plate.
The exposed portion of the top plate of the part B being made of wrought iron does
not require to be protected except by a very thin layer of paste made of fire clay and
graphite to prevent the molten metal adhering to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the rocking mould, its trunnions, the worm wheel on one
of the trunnions, the worm gearing with the worm wheel, the worm shaft, the driving
shaft having clutch connection at one end with the worm-shaft, the shaft P with
which the opposite end of the driving-shaft has clutch connection, the intermediate
shaft actuated by the shaft P, the driven shaft actuated by the intermediate shaft, the
series of rollers, the girder, and the endless chains actuated by said driven shaft and
operating the girder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of the mould rocking on trunnions and adapted to receive the
hot backing plate, the swinging crane arm carrying the ladle, and the trough or
spout supported above the mould to receive the molten metal from the ladle and
provided with numerous outlet holes in its bottom by which the metal passes in
small streams into the mould when turned into a vertical position, as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. The combination consisting of the trunnion frame; the plate forming the
lower part of the mould, detachably secured to the trunnion frame; and the plate and
three solid rectangular rim which together form the upper part of the mould and
which are detachably connected with the lower part of the mould; substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of the trunnioned frame, the lower part of the mould
detachably secured to said frame, the upper part of the mould, the cotter bolts having
loose-jointed connection with the lower part of the mould, the lugs on the upper
part of the mould, the stop lugs on the lower part of the mould, the guide-way stops,
and the cotter wedges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 11th day of January 1888
ALEX. WILSON.