IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR PLATES OR BLOCKS FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Yates, of Rotherham, in the County of York,
Ironmaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
ARMOUR PLATES OR BLOCKS FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 21st August 1863, and dated the 26th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Yates at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
February 1863.
I, JAMES YATES, of Rotherham, in the County of York, Ironmaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR PLATES OR BLOCKS FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of large
and heavy armour plates or blocks suitable for the protection of fixed and
floating forts or batteries, whereby economy of labour is obtained and a stronger
and cheaper armour plate or block produced.
According to the present mode of manufacturing armour plates they are
rolled or hammered generally to a uniform thickness or nearly so, the edges
of the plate being rough and uneven, and requiring to be afterwards cut off or
trimmed in order to square up the plate, which operation is both costly and
wasteful.
According to these improvements the operation last above referred to is for
the most part dispensed with, the plate being rolled or hammered with smooth
edges and therefore requiring little or no further trimming or cutting. For

page_text: this purpose it is proposed to hammer, stamp, or roll the plates, blocks, or bars
from the metal of which the armour plate or block is to be manufactured in
metal moulds or frames, which impart the desired size and shape or nearly so
to the armour plate or block, the sides of such mould or frame confining the
material and preventing it from spreading whilst under the influence of the
hammer or rolls beyond the size required, and leaving the edges of the plate or
block, comparatively speaking, even and smooth. During the process of ham-
mering or rolling the plate (and more particularly in the hammering) the
necessary indentations or projections required for uniting, fastening, or attach-
ing the plates may be formed thereon. In some cases where very strong
resisting power is required, it is proposed to cast on to the plate made as above
described a block or backing of cast iron or other suitable metal, the wrought-
iron plate being either in a cold or hot state (but it is preferred to have it hot,
so that the two metals will amalgamate), and placed in a suitable mould of the
proper depth, according to the desired thickness and shape of backing to be
cast on to the plate. This mould may be made either plain or with indenta-
tions or projections on the sides to facilitate the locking together of the plates
or blocks. Or the cast metal block may be prepared first and provided with
projections or indentations upon that surface which is afterwards to be brought
in contact with the wrought-iron plate, and the wrought-iron plate is then
hammered or stamped upon it whilst in a soft or plastic state, and is thereby
forced into and around the indentations or projections in the cast metal block,
so as to secure the two metals in close contact. I do not confine myself to the
use of cast iron for the backing, as wrought-iron plates formed in the manner
herein-before described may be bolted or keyed to the front plates, with the
addition of timbers or masonry as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Yates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
YATES, of Rotherham, in the County of York, Ironmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Yates. Her special license that I, the said James Yates,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Yates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR PLATES OR BLOCKS FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Yates, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 James Yates, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
large and heavy armour plates or blocks and bars suitable for the protection
of fixed and floating forts or batteries, whereby economy of labor is obtained
and a stronger and cheaper armour plate or block is produced.
According to the present mode of manufacturing armour plates they are
rolled or hammered generally to a uniform thickness or nearly so, or to an even
taper or nearly so, the edges of the plate being rough and uneven, and requiring
to be afterwards cut off or trimmed in order to square up the plate, which
operation is both costly and wasteful.
According to these improvements the operation last above referred to is for
the most part dispensed with, the plate being rolled or hammered with smooth
edges, and therefore requiring little or no further trimming or cutting. For this
purpose it is proposed to hammer, stamp, or roll the plates, blocks, or bars from
the metal of which the armour plate or block is to be manufactured in metal
moulds or frames, which impart the desired size and shape or nearly so to the
armour plates or blocks, the sides of such mould or frame confining the mate-
rial and preventing it from spreading whilst under the influence of the hammer
or rolls beyond the size required, and leaving the edges of the plate or block,
comparatively speaking, even and smooth. During the process of hammering
or rolling the plate (and more particularly in the hammering) the necessary

page_text: indentations or projections required for uniting, fastening, or attaching the
plates may be formed thereon.
In some cases where very strong resisting power is required, it is proposed
to cast on to the plates made as above described a block or backing of cast iron
or other suitable metal, the wrought-iron plate being either in a cold or hot
state (but it is preferred to have it hot, so that the two metals will amalgamate),
and placed in a suitable mould of the proper depth and form according to the
desired thickness and shape of backing to be cast on the plate. This mould
may be made either plain or with indentations or projections on the sides to
facilitate the locking together of the plates or blocks, or the cast metal block
may be prepared first and provided with projections or indentations upon that
surface which is afterwards to be brought in contact with the wrought-iron plate,
and the wrought-iron plate is then hammered or stamped upon it whilst in a
soft or plastic state, and is thereby forced into and around the indentations or
projections in the cast metal block so as to secure the two metals in close
contact.
I do not confine myself to the use of cast iron for the backing, as wrought-
iron plates formed in the manner herein-before described may be bolted
or keyed to the front plates, with the addition of timbers or masonry as
required.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 represent respectively a face view and end elevation of a
stamped armour plate having its back block B cast thereon so as to form one
entire block, and provided with indentations and projections on the sides to
interlock it with similar plates or blocks when put together; Figure 2* shews
a similar block made by stamping a wrought-iron plate while in a plastic state
on to a cast-iron block, suitable knobs or projections on the cast metal block
serving to lock or hold the two parts firmly together.
It will be obvious that these stamped plates, blocks, or bars, when properly
fitted together, will make efficient facings for old forts or batteries, arsenals, or
other defences; when required for new forts and batteries and other defences
they will form independent walls readily erected and requiring comparatively
inexpensive further backing.
Figure 3 represents a vertical section of one arrangement of machinery for
stamping and shaping armour plates or blocks in moulds or frames by the aid

page_text: of hydrostatic or hydraulic power, and Figure 4 is a corresponding sectional
plan of the same.
In this machine a perpendicular as well as a lateral or oblique pressure is
applied to the plate or block by special and separate hydrostatic or hydraulic
presses and rams, which by their conjoint action reduce the rough block to
the desired shape and dimensions without the necessity of trimming the edges
of the plate or block after it has been forged, excepting where very fine joining
is required.
A is the anvil block, upon which slide horizontally in proper grooves or guiding
slots the four lateral blocks b, b, and c, c, impelled by separate cylinders and
rams d of their own; f, f, represent the pipes leading to the several hydrostatic
or hydraulic cylinders; q, q, are the moulding surfaces which give the desired
form to the edges of the plates or blocks and which enclose the large rect-
angular or other shaped cavity or mould p, in which the plate or block is
deposited direct from the carriage or truck, as herein-before described. The
upper frame g, g, is secured by bolts and keys to the anvil block, and carries
the vertical cylinder-h, ram i, and slide block k, which latter carries and guides
the hammer 1; m is the pipe which supplies the main cylinder h; two or more
of such cylinders may be employed when large plates or blocks are to be
stamped; n is the escape and back lift pipe. In working the press the
metal is placed in the mould or enclosed space p whilst in a plastic state, and
the two opposite side blocks b, b, are then simultaneously pressed up to the
ends of the blocks c, c. The side blocks c, c, are then immediately and
simultaneously pressed home, thus completing the pressure upon all the sides
of the plates and shaping those sides to the desired form. The large hammer /
is then brought down upon the entire mass, finally reducing the metal to the
form and thickness required. On removing the stamped plate or block.
it will be found when cool ready to be secured in its place after a very slight
dressing of the edges.
Figures 5 and 6 represent in elevation and plan a modified arrangement of
mechanism for actuating the side blocks b, b, and c, c, a series of reciprocating
cam levers e, e, and e', e', being employed in lieu of hydrostatic pressure. The
main perpendicular stamper or hammer may, however, be worked either by
hydrostatic or direct steam pressure.
Figures 7 an 8 represent respectively a sectional elevation and plan of an
anvil block provided with adjustable lateral blocks b, b, and c, c, but intended
to be used with perpendicular pressure ouly, its object being to make cheaper
kinds of blocks, plates, or bars by placing piled or puddled balls in the mould
and then stamping or squeezing them into the form required without further

page_text: heating. The several screw spindles e, e, and e¹, e, serve to draw back the
side blocks in order to set at liberty the stamped plates and then to bring
them back again in readiness for the next plate, but they exert no lateral
pressure upon the edges of the plates.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1st. The manufacture of armour plates, blocks, or bars by hammering,
stamping, and squeezing or rolling them in metal moulds or frames of the
size and shape of the plate, block, or bar required, substantially as herein-
before described.
2nd. The manufacture of armour plates, blocks, or bars by casting
a metal backing on to a wrought-iron face plate or block, as herein-before
described.
3rd. The manufacture of armour plates, blocks, or bars by hammering,
stamping, or squeezing a wrought-iron plate or block whilst in a welding state
on to a cast metal block provided with projections or indentations on its
surface for the more perfect holding of the wrought-iron plate thereto, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Yates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES YATES. (L.8.)