Patent GB-190103134-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Large Welded Tubes Suitable for Boiler Flues.
Inventor: GEARING ERNEST
Filed: 1901-02-13
Granted: 1902-02-06
Abstract: 3134. Gearing, E. Feb. 13. Welding.-Relates to a method of and apparatus for making large welded tubes suitable for boiler flues. The edges of the plate to form the tube are first suitably shaped to facilitate welding, for example, by forming a V-edge on one to engage a corresponding groove in the other. The plate is then bent to shape, and welded in one or other of the welding-machines described. In Figs. 1 and 4, the tube o is held in a chuck n carried by a ramp, which can push it through two rings of supporting- rollers a, b mounted in a divided framing e. The rollers a are placed intermediate of the rollers b, and all have screwed spindles g engaging wheel nuts h operated by toothed rings on a worm-wheel k turned by a worm shaft m to adjust the rollers simultaneously to any desired diameter of tube, the diameter being indicated on a dial m<1> by a pointer m<2> operated from the shaft m by gearing, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The joint is heated by internal and external devices x, y for burning water gas and air after the manner described in Specifications No. 16,668, A.D. 1898, and No. 12,779, A.D. 1899, [Abridgment Class Furnaces &c.]. To avoid accumulations of slag along the joint and also the dropping of slag from one device to the other, the devices are arranged somewhat at the side, so that they are not one vertically over the other. The tube is then partially rotated to bring the heated portion of the joint under the welding-roll 3, and then reversely rotated to bring the join again between the heating-devices. The rotation of the chuck is effected by worm gearing r, the worm being carried by a slide s moving along the bed t with the chuck and carrying with it bevel gearing driven by a pulley shaft v on which the bevel-wheel w is feathered. The chuck and ram p may rotate together, or relative rotation may be provided for, as when auxiliary withdrawing-rams are used. The roll 3 is mounted on a lever 4 pivoted at 5<a> on a slide 5, longitudinally adjustable by rack-and-pinion gearing 7, so that the roll may co-operate with a roller a or a roller b. The height of the roll is adjusted by a screw 10 pivoted on the slide. In the form of the machine shown in Fig. 6, the chuck is non-rotatable, and is returned by side rams 16 connected to it by chains 17. The heating- devices x, y are arranged horizontally opposite one another, and are adjustable to and from the work by rack gearing, the internal device being carried by a rod 23 fixed on the slide 5, and the external one being clamped on bolts f which connect the framing e and ram cylinder q, and serve as guides for the chuck. The welding-roll 3 is in the plane of the heating-devices, and is carried by one of two arms 22 pivoted to the rod 23 and opened or closed by links 24 connected to a screwed sleeve 25 on a screwed portion of the rod. To ensure the rotation of the roller b co-operating with the roll 3, a rack 31 is fixed to the chuck, and gears with a wheel on a vertical shaft 32 connected by chain gearing to a vertical shaft 35, which is connected by chain gearing 37* to the roller b. The bearings of the shaft 35 are adjustable to allow the shaft to remain vertical while adjusted to suit the position of the roller b and to obtain proper tension in the driving-chains. The heating-device y can be adjusted along the bolts f. A rotatable chuck, such as is shown in Fig. 1, may be mounted on the stationary chuck, so that the welding may be effected at the lowest part of the tube. Horizontal movement may be given to the welding-roll and supporting-rollers instead of to the tube.