US586858A

US586858A - Apparatus for pickling or washing metal

Info

Publication number: US586858A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 1914-07-20

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

G. MESTA. APPARATUS POR PIGKLING 0R WASHING METAL.

No. 586,858. Patented July 20, 1897.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. MESTA. APPARATUS FOR PIGKLING 0R WASHING METAL.

No. 586,858. Patented July 20, 1897.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet-. G. MESTA. APPARATUS FOR PIGKLING 0R WASHING METAL.

Patented July 20, 189'?.

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'UNiTnD STATES PATENT Ormea.

GEORGE MESTA, OF PlT'lSIURG, PENNSYLVANIA. i

APPARATUS FOR PICKLING OR WASHING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of vLetters Patent No. 586,858, dated July 20, 189'?.

Application tiled March 12, 1896. Serial No. 582,939. (No model.)

To LZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE MESTA, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Metal Picklin g or vWashing Apparatus, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichh Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus shown as if in section on the line I I of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow so. Fig. 2 is an end elevation shown as if in section on the line II Il of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow gj. Fig. 3 is a detail View showing in front elevation one of the racks for upholding the metal plates. Fig. it is a sectional side elevation thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of a modified construction of the racks. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the apparatus, and Sis a sectional detail of a spline connection I e1nploy.

The purpose of my invention is to provide means for pickling and washing metal plates, pipes,&c. by agitating them in suitable baths, and it is especially adapted to the handling of long pieces which because of their inconvenient size have heretofore been hard to han dle and have been treated by hand labor, an operation which is not only difiicult but dangerous.

2, 3, and 3 are respectively the tanks for holding the baths of acid, water, and alkaline solution in which the metal to be pickled is successively washed. A greater or less number of tanks may be used, as needed. These tanks are of suitable length and depth and are set side by side, so that the metal to be treated after having been agitated in one tank can be moved to and agitated in the next tank in succession.

The apparatus for agitating the metal in what I believe to be the best form adapted to the practice of my invention is constructed as follows:

a 4, Fig. 1, are the elevated track-rails of a traveling crane, which are arranged at right angles to and above the tanks.

5 is the jib or platform of the crane, supported by wheels G on the rails and having,

preferably, also axles 7, connecting the wheels on the opposite sides, and pinions 8 on the aXles in gear with racks 9, which extend beside the rails and serve to render uniform the travel of the wheels at each end of the axles. One of the axles may be rotated and the jib moved on its track by means of a chain and sprocket-wheel 7', as shown in Fig. 1, or otherwise. On the jib 5 is a crank-shaft 10, journaled in suitable bearings 11 and having at the end a worin-wheel 12 in gear with a worm 13 on a shaft let, which extends parallel to the rails, the worm being' fitted on the shaft with a feather-and-spline connection, so that as the jib is moved on the track the worm shall move therewith, that the worin-wheel shall be, therefore, in constant traveling connection with the shaft 11i, and that by rotation of the latter the crank-shaft l0 may be roe tated in any position of the j ib.

15 15 are cross-heads suspended by connecting-rods from the cranks 16 of the shaft 10 between Vertical guides 17 on the jib, so that if the crank-sh aft be rotated these cross-heads will reciprocate vertically. The cross-heads are connected by a shaft 18, carrying drums 19, from which depend chains or hangers 20, which support the racks 21, by which the metal pieces to be pickled are carried. The shaft- 18 can be rotated by a shaft 22, which, by a traveling worin 23, worni-wheel 24, and gearing 25, is connected with the shaft 18. The gearing has a featlier-and-spline connection with the shaft 25', so that the drums may be rotated during the reciprocation of the cross-heads. The shafts 1l and 22 are operatively connected by pulleys la' and 22 and belt 30. By rotation of the shaft 18 the chains 2O may be wound upon or unwound from the drums and the racks 21 raised or lowered accordingly. These racks are of novel construction. Each consists of a comblike metal frame having parallel vertical bars connected at the top, but separated at the bottom and throughout their length, and at their lower ends made of hook form or provided with lateral holes in line with each other, as shown in Fig. a. By the word slot in the claims I intend to cover the bars provided with the slots, whether said slots are open at the side or entirely inclosed in the IOO by rotating .the shaft 18.

form of holes through the bars. There is a suitable number of these racks, according to the length of the metal pieces to be treated. I show three of them in the drawings.

In using the apparatus for pickling metal plates the plates are set on edge parallel to each other in a suitable stationary rack 2G, having a base 3l, as shown in Fig. 2. The jib is moved on its track, so as to carry the racks directly above the plates, and by rotating the shaft 18 the chains 2O are unwound, so as to lower the racks and to cause the comb-like arms thereof to lit between the several plates and the hook ends of the arms to pass below the lower edges of the plates. A retainingbar 27 is then put in the hooks of each rack, and when t-he racks are raised the lower edges of the plates will rest upon said bars and the plates will be supported thereby edgewise in vertical position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2. rlhe jib is then moved on its track, so as to carry the racks into position directly above the acid-tank 2. The shaft 18 is then rotated so as to lower the racks with the plates carried thereby into the liquid in the tank, and then by setting the crank-shaft IO into motion the cross-heads are caused to reciprocate vertically and the plates are moved up and down within the liquid, thus subjecting them to the desired agitation.

lVhen the plates have been acted upon by the acid for a sufficient length of time, the racks with the plates are raised from the tank The jib is then moved so as to carry the racks over the watertank 3, into which they are lowered and in which they are agitated, as above described, and then in like manner they are raised from the water-tank and carried to and agitated in the third tank 4L, containing the lime or other alkaline solution. After this final washing the plates, dac., may be carried by the crane to a rest-block or support 28, elevated somewhat above .the licor-level, and deposited thereupon, so that their lower edges will be held above the bars 27. These bars are then removed from the hooks, leaving the racks free to be lifted clear of the plates. The

plates will then lie upon the support 28, asA

shown in Fig 2.

Where pipes or bars are to be washed or pickled, I employ racks modified as shown in Figs. 5 and G, in which the bars of the racks are seperatedsufficiently to receive the pipes or bars between them, and they are upheld therein in several rows or series by retainingbars 27', fitting in holes or hooks, as shown.

Vithin the scope of my claims many vchanges may be made in the form and construction of the parts. For example, instead of a rotary shaft for agitating the racks I may use a reciprocating rod with bell-crank levers con* nect'ed therewith and oscillated thereby, or other like mechanism, although the construction which I have shown has many peculiar advantages and is claimed specifically herein.

Important features of the invention are the combination of the crane with tanks set parallel to the jib thereof and mechanism on the jib for reciprocating the plates vertically, and also the racks for holding the plates, which may be used with pickling apparatus of other construction and which are of advantage because of there lightness and ease of management and the ready access of liquid to the plates which they aiford.

By'the use of the crane-jib with the plates suspended therefrom by two or more supports,

the plates extending parallel to the jib and the tanks also parallel to the jib or to the position which the jib occupies when over the same, I am enabled to treat long pieces with ease and safety. I am the first to make use of this construction, and I claim it broadly, whether a traveling crane or a swinging crane be employed. In prior devices the metal pieces have been suspended crosswise of the jib.

My improved mechanism may be duplis cated in a single apparatus, the two parts be ing adapted to operate reciprocally and to balance each other.

I claiml. In metal pickling or washing apparatus, the combination with an overhead wheeled carrier arranged to move horizontally in parallel lines, of conveying mechanism thereon having means for supporting long sheets or strips at two or more points in their length, tanks located beneath the carrier in its path of travel and substantially parallel to each other, agitating apparatus mounted on the carrier, said apparatus being arranged to give the sheets or strips an agitatory motion in the tanks, and mechanism on the carrier for lowering the sheets into and raising them out of the tanks 3 said mechanism being independent `of the agitating apparatus substantially as described.

2. The combination with an overhead travelin g crane, of parallel tanks located beneath the same and in its line of travel, conveying mechanism on the crane having means for supporting long sheets or strips at two or more points in their length, agitating apparatus upon the crane arranged to give a vertical motion tov the sheets while in the tank, a shaft extending longitudinally of the path of travel of the crane and having continuous actuating connections with the agitating apparatus, and means upon the crane for lowering the sheets into and raising them out of the tanks; substantially as described.

3. In metal pickling and washing apparatus, the combination with a traveling carrier, of reciprocatory cross-heads thereon, means for reciprocating the cross-heads and drums carried therebyan d carrying the supports for the metal; substantially as described.

4. In metal pickling or washing apparatus, the combination with a traveling carrier, of reciprocatory cross-heads thereon, means for reciprocating the cross-heads, drums carried thereby and carrying the supports for the metal, and gearing for rotating the drums,

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said gearing having a vertical shaft provided With a traveling connection with means for actuating it; substantially as described.

5. In metal pickling or Washing apparatus, the combination With a traveling carrier, of a crank-shaft mounted thereon and having a traveling connection with its actuating means, drums carried by reciprocatory cross-heads connected With the crank-shaft, said drums having supports for the metal, and means for rotating said drums to lower the metal into and raising it out of the tanks; substantially as described.

my hand.

GEO. MESTA. NVitnesse THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, F. E. GAI'ri-IER.

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