Patent GB-399153-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to methods of and apparatus for moving metal articles having separated edges forming a cleft such as tubes
IPC: B21C37/08
Filed: 1932-03-24
Abstract: 399,153. Welding ; rolling. STEVENS, A. H., 5, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London.-(Republic Steel Corporation, Republic Building, Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.A.) March 24, 1932, No. 8827. [Class 83 (iv).] Roller and like tables.-Metal having separated edges forming a cleft, such as pipe, is rotated or angularly moved by driven means to locate the cleft in a predetermined position prior to moving it to welding or other apparatus, separate means being provided for supporting the metal for longitudinal movement and/or for moving it longitudinally. The pipe is rolled down skids 98 on to pairs of rolls 48, which are carried by toggle levers 46 on a shaft 42 mounted in a series of bearings 41 on a T-beam 39. The beam is vertically adjustable in a series of guides by a number of screws 64 through worm wheels 65 and worms 67 on a shaft 66 provided with a hand lever. The rolls are driven by gearing 49, 50 from the shaft 42 which is flexibly coupled to a motor carried on the beam. The beam also carries a set of feed rolls 77, the supporting surfaces of which are normally below the level of the supporting surfaces of the rolls 48 so that they are normally inactive. These rolls are driven by bevel gear 78, 79 from a shaft 80 connected by a chain to a shaft rotated through reduction gear and flexible coupling from a separate motor. The toggle levers are connected by links 51 and a link 53 to an arm 55 on a shaft 56 having arms 61, which are connected by slots 62 and slide bearings 62<1>, to a pin 60 on a fluid operated piston 58 so as to retract the rolls 48 when the pipe has been rotated to position the seam in as desired. This position is determined by the engagement with the seam of fingers 33 on gravity levers 30, which normally rest out of action on stops 29 on a pair of arms 27 pivoted at 26 and connected by slots 28 and slide bearings to pins 23 on fluid-operated pistons slidable in a series of cylinders 11 as controlled by a valve 16. The cylinders are slidably guided in separate standards 3. When the pistons are raised the levers 30 fall and the fingers 33 engage the seam and stop the rotation of the pipe. On retraction of the rolls 48 the pipe rests on the feed rolls 77, which are set in motion to feed the pipe through the machine with its seam in contact with the fingers. In order that pipes of different diameters may be fed whilst maintaining the axis in a fixed line for any size of pipe, the beam is connected to the cylinders through equal-armed levers 89 and rods 94 so that downward or upward adjustment of the beam results in an equal upward or downward adjustment of the cylinders. The beam has angle irons 37 to prevent the pipe passing across the rolls 48. The rolls 48 may be driven during transfer of the pipes from the skids or the drive may be put in after the pipe settles on the rolls. The slots 28 in the arms 27 are closed by dirt guards pivoted on the pins 23 and connected by bolts passing through slots in the arms 27. The rolls 77 may serve merely to support the metal, which may be fed by other means.