Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes.
I, GEORGE HATTON, of Hagley, in the County of Worcester, Iron & Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I employ a mill consisting of one or more pairs of rolls which are capable of
being rotated alternately in either direction, and having a series of graduated
grooves around their peripheries.
Corresponding to each groove I provide a mandril having a slightly enlarged
end, which end is somewhat smaller in diameter than its corresponding groove in
the rolls, but similar in size to the internal diameter of the tube to be produced by
passing through that groove at this particular stage of manufacture.
The entire series of mandrils are mounted, and carried in bearings in a transverse
carriage fixed at right angles to the mandrils but parallel to the mill rolls, and in
such a manner that by means of a transverse shaft mounted on this carriage and
through the medium of mitre-wheels each mandrit can be simultaneously rotated
upon its own axis.
Parallel to each mandril 1 provide a ram working in a hydraulic or steam cylinder,
which cylinders extend behind the mandrils and are attached to and carried by the
transverse carriage. Attached to the head of each ram is a hollow metal sleeve
encasing the mandril for a portion of its length and fitting it sufficiently close to
afford it support while allowing of the rotation of the mandril within the sleeve
while the latter may at the same time be freely traversed longitudinally along the
mandril each way as required.
The transverse carriage carrying the mandrils and the cylinders and rams may
be mounted on trunnion bearings, in such a position and in such a manner as to
permit of the adjustment of ends of the mandrils to their exact position relatively
to the vertical centre of the rolls and to their being moved from either side of such
vertical centre as may be required from time to time.
Between the transverse carriage and the mill rolls and placed in a position
beneath the mandrils I provide grooved rollers mounted on balanced levers
permitting them to rise and fall as required for the purpose of supporting the
weight of the mandrils and also of the tubes under manufacture when upon the
mandrils.
On the opposite side of the mill rolls to that on which the mandrils are placed I
employ (when dealing with heavy ingots of metal) "live roller gear" (the "live
rollers of which may or may not be provided with grooves) to facilitate the
introduction of the ingot into the various grooves in the mill rolls.
The apparatus being ready for work, the method of operating the same is as
follows:-
1:
::
The mill rolls are first made to rotate in a direction from the "live roller gear
towards the mandrils; the mandrils are at the same time made to rotate on their
own axes by means of the transverse shaft and mitre-wheels. The hollow ingot of
netal is now introduced with or without the assistance of the live roller gear i
into the first groove of the mill rolls passing through the groove and over the end
of its corresponding mandril while the latter is rotating. At the same time the
hollow metal sleeve on this mandril is withdrawn toward the end of the mandril
farthest away from the mill rolls.
The direction of rotation of the mill rolls is now reversed, the mandrils continue
to rotate or their direction of rotation may be reversed. The hollow sleeve of the
mandril carrying the hollow ingot is pushed forward towards the mill rolls thus

page_text: forcing the hollow ingot off the mandril, and through the same groove in the mill
rolls, delivering it into the position at which it was first introduced into the rolls.
The mill rolls are again reversed and the hollow ingot is now introduced into
the second groove of the mill rolls and on to its corresponding mandril, and forced
back again by means of the sleeve on the mandril, in precisely the same manner as
in the case of the first groove. This process is repeated through the succeeding
grooves, and over the succeeding mandrils thus drawing out and elongating the
hollow ingot into a tube, which may be either finished in this manner, or be
subsequently finished by drawing through dies on a draw bench in the usual way.
Dated this Fourth day of July 1892.
GEORGE HATTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes.
1, GEORGE HATTON, of Emscote Lodge, Warwick, in the County of Warwick
(& formerly of Hagley, in the County of Worcester) Iron & Steel Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
66
I employ a mill consisting of one or more pairs of rolls which are capable of
being rotated alternately in either direction technically known as a reversing
mill," such rolls having a series of graduated grooves around their peripheries.
Corresponding to each groove provide a mandril having a slightly enlarged
end which end is somewhat einaller in diameter than its corresponding groove in the
rolls, but similar in size to the internal diameter of the tube to be produced by
passing through that groove at this stage of manufacture.
The entire series of mandrils are mounted and carried in bearings in a transverse
carriage fixed at right angies to the mandrils, but parallel to the mill rolls, and in
such a manner that by means of a transverse shaft mounted on this carriage
carrying mitre wheels, or by means of any other suitable arrangement for the
transmission of power each mandril can be simultaneously rotated upon its own axis.
Parallel to each mandril, I provide a ram working in a hydraulic or steam
cylinder, which cylinders extend behind the mandrils and are attached to and
carried by the transverse carriage. Attached to the head of each ram is a hollow
metal sleeve encasing the mandril for a portion of its length and fitting it sufficiently
close to afford it support while allowing of the rotation of the mandril within the
sleeve while the latter may at the same time be freely traversed longitudinally along
the mandril each way as required.
The transverse carriage carrying the mandrils and the cylinders and rams may
be mounted on trunnion bearings in such a position and in such a manner as to
permit of the adjustment of the ends of the mandrils to their exact position
relatively to the vertical centre of the rolls and to their being moved from either
side of such vertical centre as may be required from time to time, but the
transverse carriage may be otherwise constructed as a fixture.
Between the transverse carriage and the mill rolls and placed in a position
beneath the mandrils, I, in some cases provide grooved rollers mounted on balanced
levers permitting them to rise and fall as required for the purpose of supporting
the weight of the mandrils, and also of the tubes under manufacture when upon the
mandrils.
On the opposite side of the mill rolls to that on which the mandrils are placed
(when dealing with heavy ingots) I employ what is technically known as "live
roller gear" the live rollers of which may or may not be provided with grooves
to facilitate the introduction of the ingot into the various grooves in the mill rolls.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, is a ground plan wherein the upper of the pair of mill rolls is removed.

page_text: Fig. 2 is an elevation in section through the first or largest of the series of
grooves in the mill rolls.
A'A' are the mill rolls having the grooves B' B2 B3 B* &c.
CC C³ C &c. are the mandrils which are mounted in & rotated from the
transverse carriage D D.
EE E are mitre and bevil wheels, which is one of the methods of transmitting
power to the mandrils, which I propose to employ.
F is the ram working in the hydraulic or steam cylinder G, one of which may
be provided for each mandril and forming part of the transverse carriage..
H H H H &c. are the hollow metal sleeves attached to the rams F, and
encasing the mandrils C' C2 C3 &c. fitting them sufficiently close to afford them
support, while allowing of the rotation of the mandrils within the sleeves while
the latter may be freely traversed longitudinally along the mandril each way as
required.
11 shew in dotted lines the position of the sleeves when pushed forward
towards the rolls.
K, K, K, are "live rollers" forming the "live roller gear" which I employ
when dealing with heavy ingots.
The transverse carriage is not shewn as mounted on trunnion bearings, but as a
fixture.
The grooved rollers mounted on balanced levers for the purpose of supporting
the weight of the mandrils, and also of the tubes during manufacture are not
shewn in the drawings, but when employed, are placed at a point between the
transverse carriage and the mill rolls approximately indicated by the letters M M.
The apparatus being ready for work, the method of operating the same is as
follows:-
The mill rolls A A are first made to rotate in a direction from the "live roller
gear "towards the mandrils C C; the mandrils C C are at the same time made to
rotate on their own axes by means of the power transmitted to them at the
transverse carriage D.
The hollow ingot of metal which is intended to be made into a tube is now
introduced with or without the assistance of the live roller gear K K into the first
groove B of the mill rolls on the side opposite to the mandrils, the rotation of the
mill rolls A A causing it to pass through the groove B₁ and over the end of the
corresponding mandril C¹ while the latter is rotating, at the same time the hollow
metal sleeve on this mandril is withdrawn from the position indicated in dotted
lines by I to the position shewn at H¹.
The direction of rotation of the mill rolls A A is now reversed, the mandrils
continue to rotate either in the same direction or their direction of rotation may be
reversed.
The sleeve H¹ is pushed forward by means of the ram E towards the mill rolls,
thus forcing the hollow ingot off the mandril, back through the groove B' the mill
rolls now delivering it into the position from which it was first introduced into
the rolls.
The mill rolls are again reversed and the hollow ingot is now introduced into
the second groove B2 and over the end of the mandril C² the rolls are again
reversed and the hollow ingot is forced back again by the sleeve H2 through the
groove B in precisely the same manner as in the case of the first groove. This
process is repeated through as many succeeding mandrils as may be desirable, thus
rolling out and elongating the hollow ingot into a tube which may either be finished
in this manner or be subsequently finished by drawing through dies on a draw bench
in the usual way.
Instead of providing a separate ram and sleeve to each mandril, I prefer in some
cases to construct the sleeves as one continuous block embracing the whole series of
mandrils which block, can, of course, only be moved backwards and forwards as a
whole, which movement may be by means of one or more rams arranged in any
position most convenient for accomplishing it.

page_text: I do not confine myself to mitre wheels, bevil wheels, or any particular means for
transmitting power to the mandrils.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of y said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of a hollow metal
sleeve encasing the mandril substantially, as herein and for the purposes described,
and shewn.
2. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of
the hollow metal sleeve and nandril, wherein the sleeve encases the mandril while
allowing the mandril to rotate substantially as herein described and shewn.
3. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of
the hollow metal sleeve encasing the mandril while such sleeve is capable of being
moved forward and backward along the mandril substantially, as herein described
and shewn.
4. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the ram F actuated
either by hydraulic or steam power substantially as, and for the purpose herein
described and shewn.
5. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of
the hollow metal sleeve encasing the mandril with the ram by means of which it is
actuated substantially, as herein described and shewn.
6. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of a
mandril whether rotating or not with a hollow metal sleeve substantially, as herein
described & shewn.
7. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of a
reversing mill together with a rotating mandril or mandrils substantially, as herein
described & shewn.
8. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of a
reversing mill together with a rotating mandril or mandrils, and the hollow metal
sleeve or sleeves substantially, as herein described and shewn.
9. In the manufacture of metal tubes, the employment of the combination of a
reversing mill, rotating mandril or mandrils, hollow metal sleeve or sleeves and ram
actuated by hydraulic or steam power substantially as herein described and shewn.
Dated this 5th day of April 1893.
GEORGE HATTON.