IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL PIPES OR TUBES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL PIPES OR TUBES, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by John Benjamin
Root, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL
PIPES OR TUBES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication.
This Invention relates particularly to the manufacture of spirally wound metal
pipes and tubes, or pipes and tubes in which the seam formed by the interlocking or
overlapping of the edges of the blank passes spirally around the cylinder, and the
Invention consists in general terms in the arrangement in connection with the
machine upon which the blank or skelp is reduced to a tubular form of a furnace,
and other appliances all as herein-after more fully described, by means of which the
seam or joint can be properly heated and welded as the tube passes off from the
mandril or former of the winding machine.
This Invention embraces four general subdivisions, namely,―
First. A guide or roll frame, by means of which the blank is supported and guided
on its passage to and entry, upon the winding mandril, and which if occasion
requires is to be provided with suitable beading and flanging rolls for giving the
edges of the blank the proper shape for producing the desired form of interlocking
or overlapping seam.
Second. A mandril upon which the blank is wound spirally into a tubular form
as it leaves the guide or roll frame.
Third. A furnace located in the line of the extension of the winding mandril for
reheating the tubing as it is fed from the mandril, and bringing it to a welding
state.
Fourth. Welding mechanism located at or near the point where the tubing issues
from the furnace.

page_text: The said guide or roll frame should be capable of delivering the blank upon the
mandril at an acute angle therewith. If thin sheet metal be used this guide frame
may be provided with die rolls for shaping the edges to produce the desired form of
lock or lap for the seam or joint, and when a heavier metal is used the frame may
be provided with milling rolls for grooving or otherwise shaping the edges of the
skelp. The edges of the blank or skelp may also be shaped before the blank is fed
into the guide frame. The blank may be pushed forward through the guide frame
by means of feed rolls, or it may be drawn forward by a travelling belt passing
spirally around the mandril.
The guide frame should be made laterally expansive to accomodate it to different
widths of blanks, and should be capable of adjustment at different angles with the
mandril, according to the diameter of the mandril used, or the width of the par-
ticular blank being worked.
The aforesaid mandril is placed at the delivery end of the roll frame, and is
provided with suitable guides for giving direction to the blank after it leaves such
roll frame, and causing it to wind spirally around the mandril. This mandril
should be made to revolve by any suitable connection with the main shaft; the
revolution of the mandril can be made to aid the feeding of the work, or can be
effected by frictional contact with the blank or skelp in winding around it.
When the machine is in operation the guide frame should be set at an angle with
the mandril, to be determined in each case by the width of the blank and the
diameter of the mandril, so that the advance edge of the blank after having made
one turn around the mandril will properly interlock with or underlie the other
edge, and as the tubing is formed it moves longitudinally along the mandril. When
the two edges are brought together and joined it will be advisable to set the seam
down by means of a seaming roll.
At or near the end of the winding mandril is placed a furnace in such relation to
the mandril that the pipe will feed directly from it into and through the furnace.
Inspection holes are provided in the furnace walls. Just outside of the said furnace
is situated the welding mechanism; this consists of an internal supporting mandril
or bulb, and a hammer and die anvil, or instead of the hammer and die anvil I may
employ two hammers acting upon the external surface of the tubing from opposite
directions, or two welding rolls. By making the face of the hammer or hammers
sufficiently broad not only will the seam be welded, but every part of the exterior
of the tubing will be hammered, and thus planished and made more dense.
If desired the hammer and anvil or hammers can be used in addition to the rolls,
the latter serving to weld the seam, and the hammers afterwards planishing the
surface.
The die anvil should be made hollow, and provided with a copious flow of water
for keeping it cool.
The hammer may be operated by any suitable connection with the driving shaft.
When the rolls are used to effect the welding their axes must be set crosswise to
each other. The welding mandril or bulb is supported by a stem which extends
axially from the winding mandril; it may be rigidly connected with the winding
mandril, or extend longitudinally through it. Under the latter construction the
welding mandril can be made to revolve with a motion communicated from the
revolving pipe, or if desired it can by suitable mechanism be made to revolve in a
direction opposite to that of the forming tube, and thus serve to some extent to
render the interior of the tube smoother.
For the purpose of keeping the bulb of the welding mandril cool a current of
water is passed through it by means of a hollow rod or pipe.
While ordinarily the bulb of the welding mandril will be of substantially the
same diameter as that of the winding mandril, its stem where it passes through the
furnace should be smaller, and preferably it should be wound with asbestos, or
provided with some other non-conducting coating.
Instead of the welding mandril above described an internal friction roll might be
used, such roll being supported on an arm extending axially from the end of the

page_text: winding mandril, and instead of winding the blank into a tubular form by means
of a mandril this portion of the work may be accomplished by causing the blank to
follow the interior surface of a hollow cylindrical former.
For leading the finished tubing away from the welding mechanism friction rolls
may be employed. If these leading rolls are driven they will aid materially in
relieving the various parts of the mechanism from strain when extended lengths of
tubing are being made.
The method above described of making welded pipe is greatly superior to that
adopted when the pipe is made with the ordinary longitudinal seam. In the latter
case the pipe must be made in short lengths, and these separate lengths when placed
in the furnace are liable to collapse or become warped, but when the pipe is made
with a spiral seam it can be formed in continuous lengths of any desired extent,
and if the furnace be properly located, as above described, the pipe can be made to
feed directly from the winding machine into and through the furnace, and by
reason of the support which it receives both at the entrance to and the exit from
the furnace the danger of collapsing will be greatly reduced if not entirely
overcome.
If the furnace should be wholly omitted it might still be found desirable in some
instances to use the hammer and anvil or a pair of hammers in connection with the
winding machine for the more completely setting down the seam, or for planishing
the surface of the tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
May 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
METAL PIPES OR TUBES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by John Benjamin Root, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America.
.
This Invention relates particularly to the manufacture of spirally wound metal
pipes or tubes, that is to say, pipes or tubes in which the seam formed by the inter-
locking or overlapping of the edges of the blank passes spirally around the cylinder,
and the said Invention comprises the arrangement in connection with the machine
upon which the blank or skelp is reduced to a tubular form of a furnace, and other
appliances, all as herein-after more fully described, by means of which the seam or
joint can be properly heated and welded as the tube passes from the mandril or
former of the winding machine.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 is a plan of the several parts of the said Invention as arranged for
work.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the welding mechanism when the same consists of
a hammer and anvil die.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a different form of welding mechanism consisting of a
pair of crossed rolls.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the mandrels, furnace, and welding
mechanism.
Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections of different forms of blanks, with the
edges shaped for the action of the winding mandrel.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the Drawing.
The said Invention consists in the following improvements, namely:-
First. A guide or roll frame, by means of which the blank is supported and guided
on its passage to and entry upon the winding mandrel, and which if occasion requires

page_text: is to be provided with suitable beading and flanging rolls for giving the edges or
the blanks the proper shape for producing the desired form of interlocking or over-
lapping seam.
Second. A mandrel upon which the blank is wound spirally into a tubular form
as it leaves the guide or roll frame.
Third. A furnace located in the line of the extension of the winding mandrel for
re-heating the tubing as it passes from the mandrel, and bringing it to a welding
state.
Fourth. Welding mechanism located at or near the point where the tubing issues
from the furnace.
Fifth. The combination of the above parts, as shown in the accompanying
Drawing, and as herein-after set forth.
The guide or roll frame A may be made in any suitable manner, but should be
capable of delivering the blank upon the mandrel at an acute angle thereto. If sheet
metal be used this guide frame may be provided with die rolls for so shaping the
edges as to produce the desired form of lock or lap for the seam or joint, and when
a heavier metal is used the frame may be provided with milling rolls for grooving
or otherwise shaping the edges of the skelp. The edges of the blank or skelp may
also be shaped before the blank is fed into the guide frame. The blank may be
pushed forward through the guide frame by means of feed rolls, or it may be drawn
forward by means of a travelling belt B suitably mounted and driven, and passing
spirally around the mandrel, or any other means that will cause the work to pass
through the machine may be used.
The guide frame should be made laterally expansive to accomodate it to different
widths of blanks, and should likewise be capable of adjustment at different angles
to the mandrel, according to the diameter of the mandrel used or the width of the
particular blank being worked.
As the special construction and operation of the guide frame beyond the general
features above indicated forms no part of the present Invention a more detailed
description of it is unnecessary.
The mandrel C is placed at the delivery end of the roll frame, and is to be provided
with suitable guides for giving direction to the blank after it leaves such roll frame,
and causing it to wind spirally around the mandrel. This mandrel should be made
to revolve by any suitable connection with the main shaft; the revolution of the
mandrel can be made to aid the feeding of the work, or can be effected by frictional
contact with the blank or akelp in winding around it. By making the mandrel
bearing vertically adjustable upon its supporting standard, mandrels of different
diameters may be used interchangeably in the same machine.
When my machine is in operation the guide frame should be set at an angle to the
mandrel, to be determined in each case by the width of the blank and the diameter
of mandrel, so that the advance edge of the blank after having made one turn around
the mandrel will properly interlock with or underlie the other edge, and as the
tubing is formed it moves longitudinally along the mandrels. When the two edges
are brought together and joined it will be advisable to set the seam down by means
of a seaming roll D. This setting down will prepare the work for the action of the
welding mechanism herein-after described.
At or near the end of the winding mandrel is placed a furnace E in such relation
to the mandrel that the pipe will feed directly from it into and through the furnace.
The rate of progression and the heat of the furnace should be so regulated that the
pipe will be brought to a welding heat before it issues from the furnace. Inspection
of the fire and of the condition of the work within the furnace will be facilitated
by peep holes provided in the walls.
No details in the construction of the furnace are shown in the Drawing, since the
Invention does not consist in the special character of the furnace used for heating
the pipe, but rather in its location relatively to the other parts of the mechanism.
Just outside the furnace is situated the welding mechanism. This consists of an
internal supporting mandrel or bulb F and a hammer G and die anvil H, or instead of

page_text: the hammer and die anvil two hammers may be used acting upon the external surface
of the tubing from opposite directions, and instead again of the hammer and die
anvil two welding rolls I, K, may be used. The advantage of the hammer or drop
over the rolls when the seam of the tubing is such as to give the finished article a
smooth exterior lies in the fact that by making the face of the hammer or hammers
sufficiently broad not only will the seam be welded, but every part of the exterior
of the tubing will be hammered, and thus planished and made more dense.
If desired the hammer and anvil or hammers can be used in addition to the rolls,
the latter serving to weld the seam, and the hammers afterwards planishing the
surface.
The die anvil when used should be made hollow, and freely supplied with water
for keeping it cool.
The hammer may be operated by any suitable connection with the driving shaft;
the arrangement adopted however should be such as to cause it to deliver well
defined blows with greater or less force and frequency, according to the requirements
of the particular case. When the rolls are used to effect the welding their axes
must be set crosswise to each other, as shown. The connections for giving these
rolls their respective revolutions are not shown.
The welding mandrel or bulb is supported by a stem which extends axially from
the winding mandrel; it may be rigidly connected with the winding mandrel, or,
as shown in the Drawing, may extend longitudinally through it. By the latter
construction the welding mandrel can be made to revolve with a motion communi-
cated from the revolving pipe, or, if desired, it can by suitable mechanism be
made to revolve in a direction opposite to that of the forming tube, and thus serve
to increase the smoothness of the interior of the tube.
For the purpose of keeping the bulb of the welding mandrel cool a current of
water is passed through it; this supply of water may be effected in the usual manner
by a hollow rod or pipe a, the water being forced in through this pipe and returning
to the discharge pipe b through the annular space c around the pipe a.
It will be observed that by reason of the tubing which in the process of formation
encircles both the winding and the welding mandrel it is necessary that this current
of water shall pass longitudinally through the winding mandrel.
While ordinarily the bulb of the welding mandrel will be of substantially the
same diameter as that of the winding mandrel, its stem where it passes through the
furnace should be smaller, and preferably it should be wound with asbestos or
provided with some other slow heat-conducting coating, the object being to prevent
as far as possible any abstraction through this channel of the heat communicated to
the tubing by the fire of the furnace.
Instead of the welding mandrel above described an internal friction roll might be
used, such roll being supported on an arm extending axially from the end of the
winding mandrel, and instead of winding the blank into a tubular form by means
of a mandrel, this portion of the work may be accomplished by causing the blank to
follow the interior surface of a hollow cylindrical former.
For leading the finished tubing away from the welding mechanism friction rolls
may be employed. If these leading rolls are driven they will aid materially in
relieving the various parts of the mechanism from strain when extended lengths of
tubing are being made.
The two forms of blanks shewn in transverse section in Figure 5 are adapted for
being worked up into welded tubing with a spiral seam by the method above set
forth, but instead of so shaping the edges of the blank as to make a simple lap it
may be found advisable, in order to prevent displacement of the parts when passing
through the furnace to shape the edges somewhat as shown in Figure 6.
The method above described of making welded pipe is believed to be greatly
superior to that adopted when the pipe is made with the ordinary longitudinal
seam. In the latter case the pipe must be made in short lengths, and these separate
lengths when placed in the furnace are liable to collapse or become warped, but
when the pipe is made with a spiral seam it can be formed in continuous lengths of

page_text: any desired extent, and if the furnace be properly located, as above described, the
pipe can be fed directly from the winding machine into and through the furnace,
and by reason of the support which it receives both at its entrance to and exit
from the furnace the danger of collapsing will be greatly diminished if not entirely
overcome.
If the furnace should not be provided it might still be found desirable in some
instances to use the hammer and anvil or a pair of hammers in connection with the
winding machine for more completely setting down the seam or for planishing the
surface of the tube.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim, the improvements in the manufacture of metal tubes or pipes, and in
apparatus employed therefor, as above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
W. ROB, LAKE. (L.S.)