Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Seamless Steel Tubes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 5th June, 1895-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Seamless
Steel Tubes.
I, ROBERT WOOTTON, of 113 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in machinery for the manufacture
of seamless steel tubes and refers to the releasing of the tubes from the mandrels
upon which they have been drawn so that they may be readily removed.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount in a suitable frame a roll having
three projecting nip pieces upon one axle and parallel to one plane with this
1 mount another disc or barrel shaped roll but having a central nip and which has
one plane of its axis at an angle or inclination to the axis of that of the roll having
the three nip projections being also geared to turn in an opposite direction to that
of the three. In the angle formed by the rolls a bar is provided running longi-
tudinally in the direction of the axis of the before mentioned rolls thus forming a
triangular aperture into which the tube is fed in a direction parallel to one axis and
the bar, and through which it automatically travels as it is revolved ou the bar by
the action of the rolls. The bar is formed preferably of a metal case having a
wooden packing with the grain running at right angles to the tube or it may he
formed of wood, composition, papier-mache or of lead or other suitable metal
and may be covered with leather or other similar material or a ball or series of
balls may be provided in a metal bar. This bar may be mounted in pivoted
supports and kept in position by a suitable lever, wedge, or screw arrangement so
that it may be readily lowered for the insertion of the tag of the tube and brought
back into position for the tube to be immediately operated upon by the rolls.
The one roll or set of rolls may be kept up to their work by powerful vibratory
springs enclosed in cylinders with a cross bar and lever arrangement whereby they
may, by hand or foot power, be pressed back against the resistance of the said
springs so that the tag can be readily inserted or the remaining part of the mandrel
can be quickly drawn through the machine after the end of the tube has passed the
nip. To obtain the full pressure of the rolls immediately the tag is inserted in the
centre nip I provide a roller which presses the tube as it enters the rolls against
the first of the three projections on the one roll thus bringing the point of the tube
with increased pressure against the central roll at the centre nip thus operating
upon the tube with full effect immediately the tag has passed the nip and previous
to it reaching the third projection on the roll.
Dated this 14th day of March 1894
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Seamless
Steel Tubes.
I, ROBERT WOOTTON, of 113 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare, the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improvements in machinery for the manufacture
of seamless steel tubes and refers to the releasing of the tubes from the mandrels
upon which they have been drawn and consists of various arrangements as hereafter
described for allowing the tube to be more readily inserted and removed from the
machine and for so operating upon the tube that it can be quickly removed from
the mandrel and at the same time is not materially marked during its passage
through the machine.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practise I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which I have fully illustrated the nature of my said improvements together with
the mode of and means for carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1., is a cross section through one of my machines.
Figure 2., is an elevation of the one side of same.
Figure 3., is a plan.
Figure 4., is an elevation of the other side.
Figure 5., is an elevation of the front or feeding end of the machine.
Figure 6., is a part section similar to Figure 1 but showing a modification.
Figure 7., is an enlarged view of the bar C.
Figure 8., is also an enlarged view showing a modification.
Figure 9., is a similar view to Figure 7 showing a further modification.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount in a suitable frame two rolls B and B¹
the axis band of which are parallel in one plane i.e. in this instance on plan and
at an inclination to each other in the reverse plane the bar C being arranged
intermediately between the two. The roll B is provided with only one operating
point while that of B' has three viz., B1, B2, and B. The tube Z is fed into the
triangular space formed between the said rolls and the bar which creates a screwing
action upon the tube and thus raises up the metal from the mandrel, at the same
time tending to turn the tube on the mandrel and thereby release it. The rolls B
and B' have the toothed pinions 6 and 67 at their ends which gear with the
wheels K and K' which are slightly bevilled to gear with same and the wheels K
and K each gear with the driving wheel K. It is important that the tube Z
should be capable of being quickly inserted in the machine and again removed after
the tube has passed the bite of the rolls without waiting for the whole of the
remaining part of the mandrel to pass through to effect which I mount the roll B
in the bearing blocks a³ which are made to slide in the main frame A and are
operated by the springs J so as to keep the roll B normally up to its work but for
the insertion of the tag of the tube and the removal of the uncovered part of the
mandrel the blocks a² are drawn back so as to compress the springs J this being
effected by means of the wedge which forces out the strap or box H the latter
being connected by the rods h¹ with the beforementioned bearing blocks a² the
wedge is operated by the lever h³ which is pivoted at 7 and has a foot stirrup
attached at by which the pressure of the roll B can be removed by the foot.
The roll B' is mounted in similar sliding bearing blocks a¹ to that of B and for the
purpose of adjusting the position of the roll for the accommodation of various sized
tubes the pins e² are provided which are provided with the screw thread, the
frame A being tapped to receive them and are provided with the worm gear E

page_text: and with connection shaft e³ and square head et for attachment of handle by which
the roll B can be brought nearer to or farther from the centre as may be desired.
To obtain the full pressure of the rolls B and B' immediately the tag is inserted
between them and before it reaches the point B³ of the roll, I may provide the
rollers F and F the position of the one of which may be adjusted by the screw
pin while that of Fi is actuated by the spring f4 through the projection ƒ³ the
roller being drawn back by the handle f" for the insertion of the tube.
For forming a durable and wearing surface without marking the tube the bar C
is formed trough-shape as shown and is filled in with any suitable wood C' the
grains of which are arranged to run vertically or in place of this I may cover the
bar with leather or other suitable material et or instead of wood I may use papier
mache or other suitable composition or I may provide one or a series of balls c³
which would be mounted in the bar with a cover plate c³ or they may simply fall
into a long groove one against another.
Instead of moving the block a' as hereinbefore described I may move the bar for
the insertion of the tag in which case the bar C would be mounted on a series of
inclined planes M which would be drawn up during operation upon the tube by the
action of the wedge m³ upon the strap m¹ the inclined planes being carried back
when the wedge is not in action by the spring m². The wedge may then be actuated
by a lever m in a similar manner to that before described.
I may vary the gearing and general details of the machine without departing
from my invention and I am aware that attempts have been made to release tubes
from the mandrels upon which they are drawn by means of rolls and do not make
any exclusive claim for the general use of rolls for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The improvements in machinery for the manufacture of seamless steel tubes
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shown upon the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. In machinery for releasing tubes from mandrels the rolls B and B¹, B2, B³,
with the axis parallel to each other in one direction but at an inclination to each
other in the opposite direction in combination with the intermediate bar C
substantially as herein set forth and shown.
3rd. In tube releasing machinery the mode of and means for inserting and
removing the tubes substantially as herein set forth and shown.
4th. In combination with Claim 2 the rollers F and F substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth and shown.
5th. In tube releasing machines the hollow bar C with wood packing substantially
as herein set forth.
6th. In tube releasing machines the bar C having a ball or balls c' or a number
of balls in a groove substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth &
shown.
Dated this 1st day of June 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.