82 



THE CIVJL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



LMarch, 



posed to tempestuous wenther, to continue the elliptir form of the 

 vessel ahove the water-line, and entirely over the deck ; hut fur 

 vessels intended only for the navigation of rivers and smooth 

 waters, tlicn the ujiper parts of the vessel may he of any shape, 

 but strictly followiiifj tlie rules laid down hy him with respect to 

 the hull below the water-line. 



The second part consists of a paddle-wheel ; this wheel is formed 

 of a larg'e sheet-iron cylinder, upon the sides of which are secured 

 two extending flanges of larger diameter than the cylinder. Be- 

 tween these flanges and the periphery of the cylinder are secured 

 the flats, which are of a curved sha])e ; the depth of the curve 

 being equal to the draught of water of the boat. 



The last part of the specification merely describes the means 

 which tlie patentee proposes to adopt for applying the paddle- 

 wheels to vessels. lie proposes in river-going boats to place a 

 single wheel in the middle, an aperture or case being there made 

 for the reception of the same ; and from it a trough or way to the 

 stern of the vessel is formed. In sea-going vessels, he proposes to 

 apply two wheels, one placed on each side of the keel,^ also in a 

 case or aperture. He also proposes to cover this case or aperture 

 with a cap or covering, which is to be secured air and water tight ; 

 but it is to be provided with a valve, so situated that when the 

 wash of the sea shall rise in the wheel-case, and expel part of the 

 air therefrom, ui)on its receding the air shall enter through the 

 valves from the outside. The patentee gives severe! rules or pro- 

 portions for making the wheel-case and trough. 



He claims generally : First, the mode of forming ships and ves- 

 sels of the elliptical cross-sections, as described. 



Secondly, the construction of the paddle-wheel, as described. 



Thirdly, the manner of arranging and applying the paddle-wheel 

 to ships and vessels, as before described. 



MANUFACTURE OF IRON. 



Samuel Lees, of the firm of Hannah Lees and Sons, of Park- 

 road, Lancaster, iron manufacturers, for ^'' certain iyti/irorerneutt in 

 the manufacture of malleable iron." — Granted August 8, 1848 ; En- 

 rolled February 8, 184.9. [Reported in the Patent Journal.'] 



The improvements described in this specification relate to the 

 manufacture of malleable iron — first, as to the mode of arranging 

 and forming the piles and faggots, and second, the construction of 

 the machinery to be employed in rolling and manufacturing such 

 piles or faggots into bars, rods, &c. 



The first of the improvements consists in placing the plates or 

 bars of iron of wliich the pile is to be formed, in sudi manner that 

 the grain of the iion of tlie several pieces sliall be in different rela- 

 tive positions to each other. In the ordinary mode of forming tlie 

 piles, the flat bars of iron which compose them are merely placed 

 in regular order one upon the other until the required thickness is 

 obtained ; the width of the bars being equal to the widtli of the 

 pile. This mode of piling, when rolled out into bars, rails, &c,, 

 presents an exterior surface, up'on which the junctions of the bars 

 appear, and thus render them very liable to laminate; as also the 

 strength of the article manufactured is irregular in consequence of 

 the lamilar direction of the grain. This is particularly the case in 

 railway bars, where, by the action of the heavy weights rolling over 

 them, the ui)per surface is laminated ; as also tlie middle vertical 

 web of tlie rail is comparatively weak from the cross direction of 

 the grain of the iron. The patentee piles his faggots in the follow- 

 ing manner — a cross section of one being shown in the annexed 

 cut. The sides of tlie pile are formed of ])lates, or flat bars, A, A, 

 dovetailed at the edges, in the manner shown; or if found more 

 convenient, tliey may have their edges merely overlajijiing each 

 other. These plates, when placed together, form the exterior of 

 the shell of the pile, and it will be seen that they present exteriorly 

 their sides; thus the grain of the iron is in a better position. The 

 middle portion is to be filled up by other ]ilates or flat bars, either in 

 the manner shown, or by dovetailing the edges, but in both cases 

 so arranging them that their sides, and consequently the grain of 

 the metal, are in different positions. 



The patentee also forms piles in which the exterior shell oi case 

 is formed in the manner described, but the interior is filled with 

 plates or flat bars piled or placed in the (udinary manner. He 

 likewise descrilies and illustrates in the drawings accomjianying 

 the specification, a mode of forming the jiile from whiili hollow 

 shafts are to be made. This is formed in nearly the same manner 

 as the preceding, differing only in the employment of two peculiar 

 shaped bars, for the centre of tlie pile, which when placed together 

 ftjrm the hollow or cavity required. For the manufacture of 



grooved or fluted rollers, such as is used in several of the processes 

 in the cotton manufacture, the jiatentee describes a mode of pro- 

 ceeding. The shell or case of the pile is to be made of the four 

 [dates or bars, as before described, and tlie interior to he filled up 

 with the best strap iron, and then manufactured up in the usual 

 manner. The patentee states the kinds of iron he proposes to 

 manufacture from piles thus formed and arranged, — as angle-iron, 

 tee-iron, bar-iron, railway-bars, fluted or grooved rollers, shafts 

 piston and pump rods, &c. 



The second of the improvements described is that relating to 

 the machinery to be employed for the manufacturing and rolling 

 the piles, formed as above described. Tliis part of the specification 

 is subdivided in two parts. First, the construction of the rollers 

 to be used in rolling the plates or flat bars into the shape desired 

 to form the piles ; as also the application to the rollers of a bar or 

 mould, for the purpose of preserving the form of the groove or re- 

 cess pi-eviously formed while passing between the rollers upon its 

 edge. This bar or mould is fixed to the framing of the rollers, 

 and thus allows the grooved bar to slide over it whilst being drawn 

 between the rollers ; the bars being successively passed between 

 them until of the proper size. 



Thirdly, another of the improvements named in the specification 

 is the employment of two distinct sets of rollers, for rolling the 

 bars, &c., placed side by side, and which are to be driven in oppo- 

 site diiections; so that the bars, after passing through between one 

 set of them, is returned through between the rollers of the other 

 set to its original place before the first set of rollers are ready to 

 be again passed between them, — thus obviating the necessity of 

 returning the bar over the upper roller to its former place in front 

 of them, as is usually the case, thus saving time and facilitating 

 the operation. 



The fourth improvement is the mode of supporting the bars of 

 iron as they are passed between the rollers by a carriage over head, 

 and to which a traversing movement is given, for the purpose of 

 bringing the bar of iron before the grooves in the rollers in their 

 proper order ; there is also communicated to the carriage a tra- 

 versing motion for the purjiose of bringing it back. 



The fifth part describes a mode of straightening bars of iron after 

 having been rtdled. This the patentee proposes to do sinijdy by 

 means of their contraction during cooling. The bar to be straight- 

 ened is taken, while still hot, and placed upon a flat iron plate or 

 bed, to which, by clamps or other convenient means, the ends of 

 the bar are firmly secured ; the contraction upon cooling being 

 suflicient to straighten the bar. 



The patentee claims : First, the mode of forming the outside of 

 a pile, or faggot of iron, by placing plates or flat bars of iron to 

 gether at right angles to each otlier, tlie edges or corners of them 

 being dovetailed or overlapjied, the interior being filled either with 

 scrap iron or with iron plates, whether arranged one upon another 

 or at right angles to each other. 



Second, the use and employment of the bar, or mould, attached 

 to rolling mills, for preserving the form and shajie of the groove or 

 indentation u]ion the bar under operation, whilst it is being passed 

 between the rollers upon its edges. 



Tliird, the method described of driving the rollers in opposite 

 directions. 



Fourth, the mode described of actuating, and also reversing the 

 movements of the carriage for holding the bars. 



Lastly, the mode described of straightening bars of iron, by con- 

 fining and holding them at their extremities while in a heated 

 state, and by their contraction in cooling assuming a straight line. 



