IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERS AND DISHES FOR CLOSE ANNEALING IRON, STEEL, AND OTHER METALS
Year: 1884

page_text: Steel, and other Metals.
We, ENOCH STEPHEN THOMPSON, and SAMUEL THOMPSON, both of the Bradley
Boiler Works, Bilston in the County of Stafford, boiler makers, do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for, IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERS AND DISHES FOR CLOSE
ANNEALING IRON, STEEL, AND OTHER METALS, to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is to construct the covers and dishes named in the
title so as to stiffen them against the distorting influence of the heat to which they
are exposed, and otherwise to insure the greater permanence of such covers and
dishes, and to lessen the weight thereof compared with their strength.
We will first describe our invention as it relates to the covers and dishes, afore-
said, when made of wrought iron or steel.
According to this invention, the longer sides of the cover are stiffened vertically
by flanging the plates at their junction, and preferably inserting between them the
web of a vertical T-iron with the head thereof bearing up against the inside of the
plate on each side of the joint. The two or three thicknesses of metal, as the case
may be, that is the two flanges of the plates, and also the web of the T-iron, if such
is employed, are riveted or welded together to form the joint, which is thus exceed-
ingly stiff to resist the distortion of the heat. The flat surfaces of the side plates,
that is the surface on each side of the vertical joint, are dished or recessed inwards
over a considerable area so as to resist the bulging-out effect of the heat; and the
flat surfaces at the ends are correspondingly dished or recessed outwards so as to
resist the usual tendency to be bulged inwards consequent upon the outward
bulging of the sides if such should take place. The top of the cover is arched
transversely in the usual manner to stiffen it, and also to form a downward edge
around its periphery, and is not riveted or welded to the sides in the usual manner,
but is laid loosely with its downward edge in a channel formed inside the cover, an
airtight joint being formed by means of fire-clay, sand, or other suitable material.
The top is thus able to expand or contract independently of the expansion or con-
traction of the sides. The top may, however, be attached to the sides by cramps
riveted to the underside of the top and passing under ledges or snugs fixed to the
side of the channel, but so as not to interfere with the free expansion and contrac-
tion of the top; or, for this purpose, cramps may be fixed on the outside of the

page_text: cover and pass over or partially over the top; or any convenient attachment may
be employed for this purpose. In order to give greater stiffness to the top, a trans-
verse Banged joint is formed at the centre, either inwardly or outwardly, in the
manner described for the junction of the side plates, and either with or without the
T-iron stiffener. The top may also be stiffened transversely by T or angle iron
bars riveted inside, in a manner which has already been adopted, and the ends of
these bars may be employed to attach the top to the sides, in lieu of the cramps
before referred to.
The dish is flanged upwards around its edge, and grooves for the balls upon
which it is rolled into and out of the furnace are formed of bars of a trough or
channel section riveted thereunder.
The plain edges, such as the edge of the dish and the top edges of the sides and
also the edges of the exterior flanged joints, are protected from the intense action
of the heat by means of fire-brick shields formed with grooves or niches on one
face or side by which they are fitted around or attached to such edges. By these
means such edges, which usually heat first and cause an unequal expansion, are
heated more gradually; thus ensuring that the whole of the vessel shall rise in
temperature gradually throughout.
The above description of our invention refers to its application in the case of
wrought iron and steel covers and dishes, but, with such modifications as will be
obvious to persons having a knowledge of the properties of metals, the invention is
alsó applicable in the case of cast iron covers and cast iron dishes employed for the
purpose of close annealing metals.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Covers and Dishes for Close Annealing Iron,
Steel, and other Metals.
We, ENOCH STEPHEN THOMPSON and SAMUEL THOMPSON, both of Bradley Boiler a
Works, Bilston in the County of Stafford, boiler makers, 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 reference
being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this invention is to construct the covers named in the title so as to
stiffen them against the distorting influence of the heat to which they are exposed,
and otherwise to ensure the greater permanence of such covers and also of their
dishes, and to lessen the weight of the covers.compared with their strength.

page_text: We will first describe our invention as it relates to the covers and dishes, afore-
said, when made of wrought iron or steel, and in doing so will refer to the drawings
herewith, of which figure 1 is a plan of a cover and dish constructed according to
this invention, but with the top of the cover removed. Figure 2 is a transverse
section taken on line x x of figure 1 and shews also the top of the cover in section.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on line y y of figure 2, and figure 4 is a longi-
'tudinal vertical section through the centre of the cover and dish.
Similar letters of reference occurring upon two or more of these views indicate
corresponding parts.
A A A is the cover and B the dish. The longer sides of the cover are stiffened
vertically by flanging the plates at their junction, as shewn at a a etc., and, prefer-
ably, inserting between them the web of a vertical T-iron 6 with the head or flange
thereof within.a hollow on the inner side of the cover, formed by the curved parts
which join the flanges a a to the plates, so that the inner face of such head or
flange may lie flush or approximately so with the inside of the plates. A capping-
piece c is welded on to the top of each T-iron so as to close in the open parts d d
forming the angle between the web of the T-iron and the flange thereof: The flanges
and T-iron are riveted or welded together to form the joint, which is thus exceedingly
stiff to resist the distortion of the heat. The T-iron may be dispensed with, if
desired, in which case the flanges are either riveted or welded together. The flat
surfaces of the side plates are dished or recessed inwards for a considerable area, as
shewn at CC etc., so as to resist the bulging out effect of the heat; and the flat
surfaces at the ends are correspondingly dished or recessed outwards, as shewn at
D D, so as to resist the usual tendency to be bulged inwards consequent upon the
outward bulging of the sides if such should take place. The top of the cover A¹ is
arched transversely in the usual manner to stiffen it, as shewn, and also to form a
downward edge around its periphery, and is not riveted or welded to the sides as
is usual, but is laid loosely with its downward edge in a channel fòrmed inside the
cover by means of an angle iron e riveted to the inside of the cover, and an angle
iron f riveted to such last-mentioned angle iron, as shewn, an air-tight joint for
the top being formed by means of fire clay, sand, or other suitable material placed
within the channel. The top is thus able to expand or contract independently of
the expansion or contraction of the sides. The top may, however, be attached to
the sides (so as to prevent it being lifted from the sides when lowered over the
sheets or other articles to be annealed and which are placed upon the dish) by
cramps riveted to the underside of the top and passing under ledges or snugs fixed
to the side of the channel, but so as not to interfere with the free expansion and
contraction of the top; or, for this purpose, cramps may be fixed on the outside of
the cover and pass over or partially over the top, or any convenient attachment
may be employed for this purpose. We prefer, however, for this purpose, to employ
a transverse bolt g passing through the sides and through the top, as shewn, near
the centre of the cover, and also bolts h h etc. passing through the ends of the top
and also through the ends of the body. It will be seen that this arrangement does
not interfere with the expansion of the top, as its elongation in excess of the
elongation of the sides will simply slacken the end bolts; and indeed these bolts
may be always slack if desired, so as to provide for the contingency of the sides
expanding more than the top.
In order to give greater stiffness to the top, transverse flange joints are formed
as shewn at E E E, corresponding to the joints of the vertical plates. Referring,
for the sake of description, to the left-hand joint figure 4, a¹ a¹ are flanges formed
inwards from the top plate and having their lower edge at a level with the exterior
edge of the top. bi is a T-iron having its web between the flanges a¹ a¹ and its
head or flange bearing against the exterior of the plate. These stiffening joints
may be formed exteriorly to the top, as in the case of the joints of the side plates,
if preferred. The two flanges and T-iron are riveted or welded together, but if
desired the T-iron may be dispensed with. The angle-iron f is notched down, as
shewn, to allow the flanged joints E E E to pass through.
•

page_text: FF etc. are T-iron stiffeners arched over as shewn to the interior curve (or
approximately so) of the curved top, and riveted to the angle iron f of the channel.
These stiffeners act as supports to the top.
Covers made as above described may be of thinner metal, in proportion to their
desired strength, than those of the ordinary construction.
G is a strong angle iron riveted to the bottom plate of the dish, and H H H are
channel pieces or "grooves
" of wrought iron or steel by which the cover and dish
is rolled upon balls into and out of the furnace. These "grooves" are much lighter
than the cast iron ones usually employed.
J is a fire-brick shield formed with a groove or niche ; by which it is fitted or
hung on to the upper edge of the angle iron G, or on to the upper edge of the
vertical plates of the cover, so as to protect such edges from the intenser action of
the heat and impingement of flame, and of course as many of such bricks as may
be required are employed to protect the whole or any part of such edge or edges.
This shield may be of any length, but we usually employ them about nine inches
long. Jis also a fire brick shield, having a groove ¹ down its inner face but
stopping short of the top. This brick is shewn in inside elevation by figure 5.
Such a brick is hung upon each of the flanged joints of the vertical plates so as to
protect them from the more intense action of the heat. By means of these bricks
the edges of the angle iron and plates (which usually heat first and cause an
unequal expansion) are heated more gradually, thus ensuring that the whole of the
vessel shall rise in temperature gradually throughout.
We prefer to carry the top loosely in a channel as hereinbefore described and
shewn by the drawings, but the top may be welded or riveted to the sides and
ends in the usual manner if preferred, and in such case we protect the corner
formed by the junction of the top and sides or ends, in the manner shewn by
figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 illustrates this modification of our invention as applied
to a cover which has the top welded to the sides and ends, and figure 7 is a similar
illustration in the case of a top riveted to the sides and ends: The same letters of
reference occurring upon both these views indicate corresponding parts. K is the
vertical side of the cover and L the top. k is a bar riveted or welded to the side K
and standing up there above as shewn, and is a brick shield, corresponding to the
.brick J figures 2 and 3, several of such shields being hung along, this bar for the
whole length thereof around the cover, and thus protecting the corner formed by
the junction of the top L and side K from the impingement of the flame, and
consequently ensuring the greater durability of the cover.
The above description of our invention refers to its application in the case of
wrought iron and steel covers and dishes, but it will be obvious that the bulging
of the plain surfaces of the plates, and the forming the top loose from the sides and
carrying it in a channel, and the means of securing the top to the sides, are applic-
able in the case of cast iron covers employed for the purpose of close annealing
metals; and that the use of fire brick shields, substantially as described, is applic
able in the case of cast iron covers and cast iron dishes employed for the purpose
stated; and that the special modification for protecting the corner formed by the
junction of a top fixed to the body of a cover, is applicable in the case of cast iron
covers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we
are aware of the Patent granted to John Thompson No 9187 of 1884 and that
we do not claim anything described and claimed in the Specification of that Patent
but what we claim is
1. Covers of the description named in the title having the joints of the vertical
plates flanged so as to stiffen such plates against the distorting action of the heat
and with or without the web of a T or analogous section of wrought iron or stee
between each pair of flanges to increase the stiffness of such joints, substantially as
"herein described and shewn by the drawings herewith.

page_text: 2. Covers of the description named in the title having the tops thereof formed
with transverse flanged joints so as to stiffen such tops against the distorting action
of the heat, and with or without the web of a T or analogous section of wrought
iron or steel inserted between each pair of flanges to increase the stiffness of such
joints, substantially as herein described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
3. Covers of the description named in the title having the flat surfaces of the
side plates dished or recessed inwards in one, two, or more places, and in each place
over a considerable area, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and
shewn by the drawings herewith.
4. Covers of the description named in the title having the flat surfaces of the
end plates dished or recessed outwards, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
•
5. Covers of the description named in the title having the tops thereof formed
loose from the sides or body, and carried or attached loosely upon the sides in any
convenient manner to form sufficiently air-tight joints between such tops and
sides, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn by the
drawings herewith.
6. Covers of the description named in the title having each a channel formed at
or near the upper side of the sides or body thereof and the top carried loose within
such channel, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn by
the drawings herewith.
7. The fire-brick shields for protecting the external edges and corners of the
covers and dishes named in the title, substantially as herein described and shewn
by the drawings herewith.
8. The bar fixed so as to stand up above the corner of a cover of the description
named in the title, and which has the top welded or riveted or otherwise fixed or
formed to or with the sides, in combination with fire-brick shields upon such bar,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and shewn by figures 6 and 7
of the drawings herewith.