Apparatus for Caulking the Joints of Pipes and Mains.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Caulking the Joints of Pipes and Mains.
We, DANIEL O'NEIL, Mechanical Engineer, GAYLORD THOMPSON, Civil
Engineer, EDWIN AUGUSTUS FISHER, Civil Engineer and EMIL KUICHLING,
Civil Engineer, all of Rochester, in the County of Monroe, State of New York,
United States of America, 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:—
Heretofore in calking the joints of pipes and mains it has been customary to
perform the work by hand, and considerable time is consumed in the operation,
and difficulty of properly calking the underside of the joint when in the bottom
of a trench, necessitating the workman lying on his back, and oftentimes when
there is an accumulation of water in the trench it is practically impossible to
perform the operation properly, and the object of our invention, therefore, is to
provide a means for rapidly and thoroughly driving in the calking or packing
material, and this, whatever the position of the joint to be calked; and it
further has for its object to provide a machine that is automatic in its operation
and which will properly and thoroughly calk the joints in about one-tenth of
the time now required for accomplishing the result, and to these and other ends
the invention consists in certain improvements in construction and combination
of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described and the novel features pointed
out in the claims at the end of this Specification.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a large pipe or main showing the
application of our invention thereto.
Figure 2, a longitudinal-sectional view thereof.
Figure 3, a cross-sectional view through the center of the apparatus.
Figure 4, a rear elevation showing its application to a pipe."
Figure 5, a horizontal-section through the main valve.
Figure 6, a sectional view through the pilot or auxiliary valve.
Figures 7 and 8, views of details.
Figure 9, a sectional view on the line of Fig. 1.
Figure 10, a plan view of the device for operating the auxiliary valve.
Figure 11, a sectional view of the same.
Figure 12, a plan view of a modified form of attaching device.
Figure 13, a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Figure 14, a rear view thereof.
Figure 15, a plan view of the movable plate for actuating the feeding devices.
Figure 16, a cross-sectional view through the main and pilot valves showing
the arrangement of the steam and exhaust pipes when the apparatus is in use.
Figure 17, a rear view of the apparatus showing a modified form of holding
device.
Figure 18, a plan view.
Figure 19, a detail view.
Similar reference letters and numerals in the several figures indicate similar
parts.
Ordinarily the large pipes or mains upon which the invention is designed to

page_text: .
辜
which and the surface of the other section the lead or other packing material has
to be driven in the operation of calking, and when the shape and size of such flange
is sufficient, we prefer to guide the apparatus upon it and to employ said flange as
an abutment for receiving the reaction from the stroke of the plunger carrying the
calking tool.
The letter A indicates one section of a main of large diameter, and B the
adjoining section provided with the large flange or hub C, as, shown; D indicating
the lead or other material placed in the joint between said sections, and adapted to
be driven in by the use of our apparatus.
1 indicates a rectangular frame supporting the tool and its motor-mechanism,
having at the front a cross-piece 2 relatively vertically adjustable and secured
by means of bolts S, as shown in Figure 2, said cross-piece having attached to
it three or more arms 4, carrying at their outer ends rollers 5, adapted to engage
the rear side of the flange C on the pipe, the arms 4, being provided with
nuts 6, on their rear ends, and springs 7 being interposed between said nuts
and the cross piece of the frame. This connection will permit a slight vertical
movement of the rollers 5, limited, however, by the springs 8 attached to the
cross-piece bearing on the arms 4 and holding the rollers down against the outer
side of the flange. In the construction in which this pipe flange forms a guide,
the rollers 5 have the rounded lower sides to more readily conform to its shape,
and the springs 7 and 8 will allow them to conform to any slight irregularities in
the surface. The inner side of the flange is adapted to be engaged by the
small roller 9 mounted on the underside of the cross-piece 2, this connection
preventing the longitudinal movement of the frame relative to said flange.
These rollers 5 and 9 constitute projections extending laterally of the plane of
movement of the tool, as will be understood. At the sides of the frame 1 are
provided supporting rollers 11, which also in the present embodiment of the
invention, constitute feed-rollers for causing the progressive movement of the
apparatus, and said rollers are secured upon shafts 12 journaled in bearings
secured to the frame 1, the bearing-blocks 13 for the ends of the shafts toward
the front of the machine are arranged between springs 14 engaging the frame
and are connected by bolts 15 with arms 16 pivoted to the sides of the frame,
as shown particularly in Figure 9, to allow for the slight independent movement
of the front portion of the frame if the surface of the pipe over which it moves
is somewhat irregular, nuts 17 screwing in the frame adjusting the tension of
said springs. Arranged within the frame 1 and adapted to be adjusted back and
forth upon suitable guide-flanges on the lower sides thereof is a motor-frame 20
carrying a movable and, preferably, a reciprocating-calking tool, and a motor,
for automatically reciprocating it, the frame 20 being held from vertical move-
ment by a plate 18 and screws 19 entering grooves in its sides. In the present
embodiment of our invention we prefer to employ a motor device operated by
steam or compressed air and, therefore, the frame 20 contains a cylinder, within
which operates a piston 21. The cylinder is provided with a slot in its underside
through which projects a vertical extension of a slide or "plate 22 operating in
guides formed in the bottom of the cylinder and frame, and connected by a
bolt 23 with the said piston. The forward end of this slide is provided with a
tool socket 24 in which the shank of the calking-tool 25 is removably secured
so that by the reciprocation of the piston, said tool will strike and drive the
calking material or packing in the joint. The attachment of the calking-tool to
the piston between the ends is particularly advantageous in this, and other
machines adapted to deliver repeated blows, for the reason that the piston itself
forms the guide both forward and in rear of the point of attachment of the tool
and there is less strain on the operating parts, and further in this class of
machines, we are enabled to bring the tool close to the surface of the main and
therefore to deliver a more direct blow on the packing. The frame 20 carrying.
the tool-operating device is adjustable longitudinally on the guides in the frame 1
by means of a screw 26 having a hand-wheel 27, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,

page_text: so that the force with which the blow of the calking tool is delivered may be
changed as desired, and said motor-frame may be adjusted vertically by the
bolts 15.
The main frame 1 of the apparatus is held down upon the surface of the pipe by
an encircling band or cincture passing around the pipe, and in the construction
shown in Figures 1 to 13, we prefer to make this band of a number of connected
links 30 pivoted to each other and having rollers 31 on the ends of the connecting
rods 32; said rollers bearing on the surface of the pipe and permitting the device
to be moved around either automatically or by hand, to calk the whole joint; and
as the preferred means of connecting the ends of said band, and to enable it to be
held tightly and also to accommodate itself to any inequalities in the surface of
the pipe, we connect to one side of the frame 1 a plate 33 having its ends bent
back toward the main frame, the rear end being pivoted directly thereto, while the
forward end is pivoted to the link 16 attached to the main frame, as shown in
Figure 9, and on the inner side of said plate is arranged a spring 34 through which
passes a bolt 35 connected by a hook bolt 36 with the cross-bar 37 connected
loosely to the spindle 38, the latter having mounted loosely upon it the first pair of
wheels 31 of the chain. Connected to this spindle 38 are crank-arms 39 pivoted
to the curved ends of links 40 forming in effect a double toggle, the latter being
notched on their underside to engage with the cross-pins 41 connecting the two sides
of the double link 42. Also secured to the spindle 38 is an arm 43 having a
spring-latch 44 thereon adapted, when the band is locked around the pipe, to engage
the underside of the cross-bar 37, as shown in Figure 3, and it will be seen that
the arm 43 being thrown back to the position in dotted lines, the links 40 and 42
can be engaged and the chain tightened by turning the arm 43 downward again
straightening the toggle and engaging the latch with the cross-bar. The link 45
of the chain on the other side of the main frame 1 and toward the front thereof, is
connected with the end of the link 16 on that side in order that the front of the
machine may be permitted to move slightly, the movement being governed by the
springs 14, as shown in Figure 9, and before described.
When the machine is entirely automatic and is to be moved around a pipe by
the mechanism operating the reciprocating tool and also when operated by hand, it
is advisable to employ a counterweight 46 on the underside of the chain opposite
the machine, as shown in Figure 4, to balance it and permit its easy movement, and
the feeding devices for operating the feed-rollers 11 may be of any desired
description, but we prefer to employ those shown in Figures 1 and 3. In this
construction we attach to the upper side of the piston 21, and preferably by
means of the bolt 23, a sliding-plate 50 having inclined slots 51 therein with which
co-operate pins 52 attached to feed-bars 53, as shown clearly in Figure 15. To the
outer end of these bars 53 are connected arms 54 pivoted to levers or arms 55
journaled loosely on the shafts 12 carrying the feed-wheels 11, and also connected
to said arms 55 are pawls 56 engaging the teeth of ratchet wheels 57 splined upon
the shafts 12 and permitted a longitudinal movement thereon so that when the
motor frame 20 is adjusted it will carry the feed-wheels back and forth on said
shaft. The pawls connected to the feed-bars 52 are arranged to be thrown into
and out of engagement with the ratchet wheels so that the movement of one of the
bars in one direction will cause both the pawls connected thereto to engage the
ratchets on the shafts of both the feed-wheels and move them in one direction, and
the movement of the other bar in the opposite direction will rotate all of the feed
wheels and cause the machine to be moved in the opposite direction around the
pipe. It will be understood that only one pair of these feed-bars is operative at a
time and this only while the piston is moving back after having caused the tool to
strike the lead in the joint, the pawls of the other bar being turned out of engage-
ment, so that the calking tool operates while the piston is moved in one direction
and the feed of the machine around the main is accomplished while said tool is
moving in the opposite direction, and, as will be described, at less speed.
While any preferred form of valve mechanism may be employed to actuate the

page_text: piston, such for instance as is ordinarily employed in reciprocating tools of this
class, I prefer that shown herein, and particularly in Figures 5 and 6.
The steam passages to the ends of the cylinder are indicated by 60 and 61,-
62 indicating the exhaust passage, and 63 the live steam passage. The main steam
valve is provided with the heads 64 and the central steam-actuated piston-head 65,
the passage of steam to this piston being controlled by the auxiliary or pilot
valve 66, which admits steam to, and exhausts it from, the ports 67, as shown in
Figure 6. The pilot valve 66 is connected to the stem 68 actuated by the arm 69
of a double crank pivoted on the top of the cylinder, the other crank arm 70
having a pin 71 operating in a slot 72 in a plate 73 secured to the sliding-plate 50
that actuates the feed-rollers. Arranged in the passage 61 is a small inwardly
opening check-valve 75, and around this is a by-pass 76 containing an adjustable
cock or plug 76*, the object of this construction being, that while the steam in the
forward end of the cylinder is exhausted freely through the passage 61 by the
opening of the check-valve 75, the passage of steam to this end of the cylinder for
causing the backward movement of the tool will be restricted by passing through
the by-pass (the check-valve 75 being automatically closed by pressure). This
arrangement enables us to deliver a hard quick blow with the tool, while the return
stroke will be slightly slower and will ensure the turning or feeding of the machine
before the next blow of the calking tool is delivered.
It is sometimes the case that pipes or mains, the joints of which it is desirable to
calk, are not provided with flanges sufficiently large or of the right shape to hold
the apparatus in position, and in such cases we prefer to employ such an arrange-
ment as is shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, embodying brackets 80 having segmental
flanges 81 with which latter the guide-rollers 5 and 9 on the tool-frame are adapted
to engage; said brackets being connected to links 82 of a band or chain by
screws 83, so that after the brackets are placed in position, the band composed of
the links may be tightened up by said screws, and held in position forming a
continuous way or track around the pipe upon which the apparatus may travel, being
moved around either by hand or the automatic feeding-device described.
Instead of employing the automatic feeding-device and the movable chain or band
connecting the device to the pipe, we may employ such an arrangement as is shown
in Figures 17 to 19, the main frame having supporting rollers 90 and the holding
band or cincture being composed of two chains 89, preferably sprocket chains,
passing around the pipe and over rollers 91 journaled on a cross-bar 92 supported
on the outer movable portion of telescoping arms 93, springs 94 being interposed
between the two sections of said arms, and the section of the arm, pivoted to the
main frame, is provided with an eye through which passes a curved guide 95. In
using this form of device, the tool is placed upon the top of the pipe or main, the
sprocket chains are placed around the pipe and over the rollers 91, which are in
the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 17, and then said rollers 91 are turned
up to the position in full lines, the chains holding the machine firmly on the main,
and it may be moved around the pipe by the operator, the chains being prevented
from movement by the friction on the main, while the machine will move under
them.
It will be understood that when the device is being used in a trench, either the
exhaust or the steam pipe should extend entirely around the main when the
operation is started, and that, when the machine has moved half-way around and is
beneath the main, both the live steam and the exhaust pipes must extend to the top
of the trench, and in order that this may be accomplished, we provide over the
trench a recl 96, such as is shown in Figure 16, to which the exhaust and steam
pipes 97 and 98 are connected, so that they are wound in opposite directions as the
tool moves around a main, one of said flexible pipes will be unwound from the reel
and be wound around the main, and the other vice versa.
It will be understood that a motor of any description may be employed to
operate the calking tool, as for instance, an electric motor, and the current con-
ductors to and from it could be connected to the motor and the reel in the. same

page_text: The band or cincture for
holding the device on the main may also be of any description, and as shown, may
be attached to the frame and travel with it or may be stationary and permit the
frame to travel beneath it, and the feeding movement may be accomplished either
automatically or by hand.
manner that the steam and exhaust pipes are connected.
We do not desire to limit ourselves to the precise construction shown herein,
as the parts could be greatly modified without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
It will be understood that the term frame in the claims refers to any frame carrying
a motor and tool, whether a separate motor-frame adjustable on the main frame is
employed or one to which the band is directly connected and that the term
desired
be of
" refers to
motor
a tool-actuating device which may
construction.
any
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with a motor, and a band or cincture for holding it upon a
main or pipe and permitting its movement around it, of a reciprocating tool
operated by the motor in a plane approximately parallel with the said main,
substantially as described.
2. The combination with a movable tool, and a motor for operating it, of a band
or cincture for holding the motor on a main or pipe and permitting its movement
around the latter, and projections for engaging a flange or projection on the main
or pipe and preventing the longitudinal movement of the motor, substantially as
described.
3. The combination with a movable plunger carrying a tool, and a motor for
operating it, of a band or cincture for holding the motor on a main or pipe, and a
guide between the frame and pipe for guiding the frame around the latter and
preventing longitudinal movement thereon; substantially as described.
4. The combination with a frame and a band or cincture connected to the
frame and adapted to encircle and move around a main or pipe, of a reciprocating
tool on the frame movable in a plane at an angle to that of the band; substantially
as described.
5. The combination with a frame having guiding projections for engaging a
flange or projection on a main or pipe, and a band or cincture for holding it upon
said main, of a motor adjustable on said frame, a reciprocating tool actuated by
the motor, and movable in a plane approximately parallel with the pipe, substantially
as described.
6. The combination with a frame and a reciprocating plunger thereon having a
tool, of the guiding projections on the frame extending at an angle to the plane of
movement of the tool and adapted to engage a flange or shoulder on a main or pipe,
substantially as described.
7. The combination with the frame having the adjustable forward portion, and
the two projections thereon adapted to engage opposite sides of a guide, of a motor,
and a reciprocating tool actuated thereby mounted on said frame, substantially as
described.
8. The combination with the frame having the adjustable forward portion, and
the guide rollers thereon adapted to engage a guide-flange, of a motor, a
reciprocating tool actuated thereby arranged on the frame, and an attaching
band or cincture for holding the frame on a main or pipe, substantially as
described.
9. The combination with the frame having the roller 9, the forwardly extending
arms loosely connected to the frame provided with rollers, and the springs pressing
on said arms, of the motor carried by the frame, the reciprocating tool operated
5 thereby and a band or cincture for holding the frame upon a pipe or main,
substantially as described.

page_text: .
:
:
10. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon, and a reciprocating tool
actuated thereby, of a band or cincture for holding the frame on a main or pipe
and feeding mechanism actuated by the motor for moving the frame around the
pipe, substantially as described..
11. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon, a reciprocating tool actuated
thereby and guiding projections extending at an angle to the plane of operation of
the tool, of a band or cincture for holding the frame on a main or pipe, and feeding
mechanism actuated by the motor for moving the frame around the pipe, substantially
as described.
12. The combination with the frame having projections at one end for co-operating
with a guide, a motor and a reciprocating tool operated thereby, of the feed-
rollers mounted on the frame having the ratchet wheels connected thereto, the
laterally extending bar actuated by the motor, the pawls connected to said bar and
co-operating with the ratchet-wheels, and the band or cincture for holding the frame
on a pipe, substantially as described.
13. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon, a movable tool actuated
by the latter, and the guiding projections extending at an angle to the plane in
which the tool operates, of the band or cincture connected to the frame, and the
counterweight thereon opposite the frame, substantially as described.
14. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon, a movable tool actuated
by the latter, and the guide-rollers extending at an angle to the plane in which
the tool operates, of the feeding rollers on the frame actuated by the motor and the
band or cincture engaging the frame, and also having rollers thereon, substantially
as described.
15. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon, and a movable tool
actuated by the latter, of the band or cincture connected to the frame, and adapted
to extend around a pipe or main, and the spring connection interposed between
the band and frame, substantially as described.
16. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon, and a movable tool
actuated by the latter, of the double band or cincture connected to the frame and
adapted to extend around a pipe or main, and a spring or springs arranged
between one of the sides of said band and the frame, substantially as described.
17. The combination with the frame, the motor having the movable plunger
and the tool connected thereto, of the supporting feed-wheels, the slotted plate
connected to the plunger, the bars actuated thereby, and ratchet connections between
said bars and the feed-wheels, substantially as described.
18. The combination with the frame, the motor having the reciprocating plunger,
and the tool connected thereto, of the feeding-devices for moving the frame, and
rátchet connections between the plunger and feeding devices for causing the
operation of the latter when the tool is being retracted, substantially as
described.
19. The combination with the frame, the cylinder, the reciprocating piston, of
the tool connected to the piston intermediate its ends, whereby the cylinder serves
as a guide for said tool, substantially as described.
20. The combination with the frame, the cylinder, the reciprocating piston
operating therein, the slide extending parallel with the piston and connected to it
intermediate the ends thereof and a tool carried by said slide, substantially as
described.
21. The combination with the frame baving the projections for engaging a
guide, of the cylinder, the piston operating therein, the calking tool operating
below the cylinder and connected to the piston between the ends of the latter,
substantially as described.
22. In a calking machine, the combination with a frame, a reciprocating plunger
thereon carrying a calking tool, a band or cincture for holding the frame on a
main or pipe, and permitting its movement around it, and a projection on the
frame adapted to engage a flange or projection on the main for preventing
longitudinal movement of the former, substantially as described.

page_text: 23. The combination in a reciprocating tool, of a frame, a cylinder having
passages leading to opposite ends, a piston operating therein, a tool connected to
the piston, a check-valve and by-pass in the passage leading to the front of the
cylinder, valve mechanisin for controlling the passage of fluid to the passages in
the cylinder feed wheels for moving or feeding the frame actuated by the backward
movement of the piston, whereby the movement of the frame will be caused
during the backward movement of the piston and when moving at reduced speed,
substantially as described.
24. The combination with the frame, the cylinder, the piston, and the tool
operated thereby, of the main fluid-actuated valve, the pilot valve controlling it,
the slotted plate connected to the piston, the double crank, one arm of which is
connected to the pilot valve and the other having the pin operating in the slotted
plate, substantially as described.
25. The combination with the frame, the feed-wheels thereon, the cylinder, the
piston, and the tool operated thereby, of the main fluid-actuated valve, the pilot
valve controlling it, the feeding-plate connected to the piston having the slots
therein, the valve operating plate connected thereto having the slot, the double
crank, one arm of which is connected to the pilot valve and the other having
the pin entering the slot in the last-mentioned plate, the transverse bars having
the pins in the slots in the feeding-plate, the pawls carried by said bars, and the
ratchet wheels on the feed-wheels with which said pawls co-operate, substantially
as described.
26. The combination with the frame, the guide-rollers thereon, the reciprocating
tool, a motor for operating it, and a band or cincture for holding the frame on a
pipe, of the segmental way or guide on which the guide-rollers operate, and means
for connecting it to a pipe, substantially as described.
27. The combination with the frame having the guide rollers thereon, the
reciprocating tool, a motor for operating it, and a band or cincture for holding
the frame on a pipe, of the brackets having the segmental ways or guides thereon,
the band or chain, and the adjusting screws connecting the brackets, with the chain,
substantially as described.
28. The combination with the frame, a motor thereon embodying a reciprocating
plunger, and a tool carried thereby, guiding and securing devices for attaching
said frame to a pipe or main, and permitting its movement around the same, of
two flexible fluid conductors leading to opposite sides of the motor, and a reel to
which said conductors are attached and upon which they are wound in opposite
directions, substantially as described.
29. The combination with the motor and a tool operated thereby, of a band or
cincture adapted to extend around a pipe or main and hold the motor thereon,
and a spring or springs interposed in said band, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.