Improvements in Machines for Threading and Outting off Pipes and Rods.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Threading and Outting off Pipes
and Rods.
I, FRANK ARMSTRONG, of 110 William Street Bridgeport in the County of
Fairfield, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention has reference to improvements in machines adapted either
for screw-threading the ends of iron or other metallic pipes or rods, or for cutting
the same into suitable lengths as required.
In my machine a base serves to support the several parts. This base at one end
bears a vise in which the work may be securely held for presentation to the tools.
The other end of the base is hollow and is formed with a bearing in which
turns a hollow shaft, near whose centre and within a hollow part of the base
is secured a large gear. This gear is operated by a long pinion seated below.
it and furnished with a crank or other means for revolving it.
Said pinion is long enough to permit the gear and shaft to move longitudinally
with relation thereto, the pinion having only rotative motion.
The front end of the hollow shaft carries a circular head in the form of a
thick ring with square edges. In ways in the outer surface of this head are seated
four (more or less) dies having screw-threaded faces and capable of movement
toward and away from the centre. At the back of the head is a circular plate with
scroll slots cut therein and each of these slots is connected by a stud or similar
device with one of the dies, so that by turning the plate equal radial movement will
be imparted to each of said dies; this for the purpose of carrying them toward or
away from the work to be threaded. The head also carries a cutting-off tool, which
as required, may be projected toward the centre to operate on the work or may be
withdrawn out of the way.
The dies in the threading operation should be fed forward on to the work at a
rate corresponding to the lead of the thread to be cut. To accomplish this I
provide the rear end of the hollow shaft with a screw-threaded ring which is
removable, said ring having threads of a size corresponding to the thread to be
cut. I furnish a number of these rings having different threads with each
machine.
On the rear side of the base contiguous to the end of the shaft on which the rings
are to be secured, I mount a leader nut having several, say five or six, faces, each
face having a different thread upon it. One nut therefore will co-operate with a
number of rings.
The nut may revolve to present its different faces, and it is also connected with
an eccentric handle which serves to project it against the ring, or to withdraw it
out of contact.
In operating the machine the workman first secures the pipe in the vise, and
then adjusts the dies by means of the scroll plate which is provided with a locking
device. The proper leader ring is then placed and secured on the end of the shaft,,
and the nut turned to present the proper face toward the ring and then projected
into contact therewith.
Then the head is revolved by turning the pinion which imparts motion to the
head through the gear on the hollow shaft. The nut feeds the shaft forward at the
proper rate and the dies cut the pipe at the same rate.
Dated this 9th day of December 1891.
H. B. BAKLOW,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: .
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Threading and Cutting off Pipes
and Rods.
I, FRANK ARMSTRONG, of 110 William Street, Bridgeport, in the County of
Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer,
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:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for
threading and cutting off pipe, or rods, and has for its object to provide a machine
capable of ready and rapid change to operate upon work of different sizes and to
cut thereon threads of different pitch; and with these ends in view my invention
cousists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully explained 1
and then recited in the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully
understand its construction and operation, I will describe it in detail, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this Specification,
and in which,
Figure 1, is a longitudinal vertical section with certain of the parts in elevation,
Figure 2, a front elevation of the head,
Figure 3, a plan view of the die-operating plate,
Figure 4, a rear end elevation,
5
Figure 5, two detail sections substantially on line y-y of Figure 2, one showing 2
the parts as free and the other showing them as locked,
Figure 6, a detail showing the means for attaching the handle,
Figure 7, a detail bottom plan view of one of the threading dies,
Figure 8, a plan and edge view of one of the die operating shoes,
Figure 9, shows the screw and cranked handle whereby the leader nut is 2
attached,
"
Figure 10, a central section through the leader nut,
Figure 11, a side elevation of said nut.
The same numerals and letters denote the same parts in each of the figures.
The several parts of my machine are mounted upon a base 1, preferably of cast 30
iron, which may be arranged to stand upon a bench, or may be supported upon legs.
The lower part of the base, as seen at 2, is hollow and is designed to contain oil
for the constant and thorough lubrication of the main gear and pinion. A cover 3
encloses the main gear, and in the top of the base and lower side of the cover_are
formed bearings in which a hollow shaft 4 is mounted and adapted to rotate.
shaft bears the main gear 5, and said gear is driven by means of a long pinion 6
seated below it and provided with an outwardly projecting key 7 or other means for
applying power thereto.
This 3
The forward end of the hollow shaft carries a head 8, and the rear end is designed
to support leader-rings, of which one designated by 9 is shown at Figures 1 and 4. 4
The rings are supported for ready attachment and detachment by two pins 10
which slide inward through ways 11 in the end of the shaft (see Figure 4).
The ring slips over the end of the shaft until said pins enter a groove 12, see
Figure 1, which is cut around the outer surface of said shaft. The ring is then
turned slightly to carry the pins out of coincidence with the ways, and is there secured 45
as against rotation by a staple or bifurcated key 13, one leg of which enters a
socket in the shaft, and the other a similar socket in the head. The fastening is a
variation of the common and well known bayonet-lock joint.
The head 8 has four equidistant seats in its outer face for the accommodation of
threading dies 14, one of which is shown in detail at Figure 8. Each die has two 50
cutting faces, and is grooved on each side as at 15, Figure 1. A plate 16 having a

page_text: nose adapted to the groove, and an elongated screw hole, is attached by a screw. 17
or other fastening to the face of the head, and serves to hold the die in its seat,
while permitting to it radial movement relative to the head. The bottom of each
die has two sockets 18, see Figure 7, one for each cutting face, and the dies are
held in position and controlled by means of shoes 19, each shoe having a stud 20
for engagement with one of the sockets in the die.
Behind the head a scroll plate 21, formed in two parts for convenience of
attachment as shown at Figure 3, encircles the hollow shaft. It has four curved
and eccentric slots, each of which holds one of the shoes 19 and is adapted
therethrough to operate the die with which said shoe is connected.
The plate 21 also has a peripheral recess 23 and at one end of said recess a
seat 24 whose purpose will be presently explained. 25 is another plate divided into
two parts at right angles to the division of the plate 21 so that they break joints
when in position. The plate 25 is secured to the plate 21 by sorews, see Figure 5,
and the screw holes at Figure 3. Said plate 25 has also in its edge sockets, say to
the number of three or four, in which a handle 26 may be inserted as shown at
Figures 1 and 6.
The means of attachment between the head and the plates 21 and 25 consists of
a hollow bolt 27 having a shoulder 28 which holds in a recess in the inner face of
the head, as is shown at Figure 5; the end of said bolt fits into the peripheral
recess of the plate 21. A nut 29 on top of the bolt serves as a clamping device
therefor. Within the bolt is a spring-actuated plunger 30 which when brought
into coincidence with seat 24 will enter the latter, but which when out of coincidence
will be upheld, as seen at the left hand illustration of Figure 5, by engagement.
with the edge of the recess.
In the operation of my invention the dies are set for the size of pipe required to
be cut, by loosening the nut upon the hollow bolt, which has heretofore referred to,
and then by means of the insertible handle shown at Figure 6 turning the two
attached plates 21 and 25 until the scroll slots carry the proper standard marks on
the dies into proper relation to the standard mark on the head, as seen at Figure 2.
The nut is then tightened. The dies are thus secured in their proper position, but
it is desirable that they may still be withdrawn slightly for the release of finished
work. This is provided for by the limited play which the bolt has in the recess
in the edge of the plate 21. To withdraw the dies to the limited extent just
referred to, the sliding plunger is withdrawn out of its seat 24 and the plates turned
by means of the insertible handle. The slots acting on the dies thus retract them.
A reverse movement of the handle carries the dies back to their closed position
when the plunger drops into its seat and locks the parts, and the handle is
withdrawn to permit of the free rotation of the head and its hollow shaft.
At the front end of the bed is a vise 32 in which work may be secured. This
vise is adjunctory merely and may be of any preferred construction.
In connection with the leader ring upon the rear end of the bollow shaft, which
has been heretofore described, I employ a leader-nut 33 which is shown at Figures 4
and 10 as consisting of a hollow hub having thereon faces a, b, c, d, e, and f, each
forming a partial nut, and provided with screw threads, as is shown at Figure 11.
These faces are adapted to co-operate with the threads upon different leader rings,
which may be attached to the shaft, and for purposes of convenience I form. these
partial nuts with threads as follows; one face with 18 threads right, to the
inch, and one with 18 left, one with 11 right, one with 11 left, one with
14 right, and one with 14 left, these being the sizes most commonly used, but of
course the machine may be provided with any number of nuts having different
pitches of thread for use in connection with such leader rings as are suitable
thereto. The hollow nut is supported eccentrically upon a hub 34 by means of a
screw 35, and to this hub is secured a handle 36 by means of which, as will readily
be understood by Figure 4, the nut after being turned by hand so as to bring the
required face opposite the leader screw may be projected into engagement therewith.
The leader nut is also provided with a yoked projection 37 which may be turned

page_text: so as to embrace the leader ring at its edges and so cause the head to revolve
without any longitudinal movement, for the purpose of cutting off pipe. The
cut-off tool 38 is seated in a way formed for this purpose in the disk and is operated
inward as occasion requires by means of a screw 39. The construction of this
cut-off tool, however, forms no part of my present invention.
In operating the feeding portion of my machine the proper leader ring is first
attached to the shaft and that surface of the leader nut, which is threaded to
correspond with the ring, turned toward said ring and then projected against it by
means of the handle 36.
The pipe is then placed in position for the action of the
dies and the head and shaft rotated by means of the long pinion shown at Figure 1.
As the head revolves, it and the shaft will by engagement of the leader screw and
leader nut, describe a spiral path in accordance with the pitch of the leader screw,
and this causes the dies to make their initial cut upon the pipe with entire
accuracy. The dies of course correspond in pitch with the leader screw threads,
and after they have threaded the pipe for some little distance they will continue
to cut upon the pipe indefinitely without the guiding action of the leader screw.
As soon as they have thus commenced to guide themselves it is usual to throw the
leader nut out of engagement by means of the crank and leave it disengaged until
the next piece of pipe to be threaded is inserted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a pipe-threading machine, the combination with the hollow shaft carrying
the threaded dies, of a removable threaded leader ring having means of attachment
to said shaft, and a polygonal-faced leader nut mounted contiguous to said shaft,
and means as described for moving said nut into and out of engagement with the
leader ring.
2. The combination in a machine of the character described, with the hollow
shaft and the threading tools carried thereby, of the leader ring and means for
securing the same upon the shaft, a polygonal leader nut bearing threads of various
pitches, an eccentric upon which said nut is mounted, and means as a lever for
projecting the nut into and out of engagement with the leader ring.
3. The combination in a machine of the character described, with the outer shaft.
and the threading tools mounted thereon, of the leader nut having a number of
faces bearing screw threads of different pitch, an eccentric hub upon which said
nut is mounted, and a lever or handle secured to said hub substantially as
described, whereby the nut may be operated into and out of engagement with the
leader ring.
4. The combination in a machine of the character described, with the hollow
main shaft, of a gear borne upon said shaft, a pinion having means for the appli-
cation of power thereto meshing with and adapted to operate the gear, a head
carried by the main shaft and bearing suitable threading tools, a threaded leader
ring detachably secured upon the other end of the shaft, and a polygonal and
eccentrically hung leader nut arranged adjacent to the leader ring and adapted to
co-operate therewith, substantially as described.
5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the hollow main
shaft, of the head carried thereon, the threading dies seated and adapted to slide
in ways formed in the head, shoes engaging said dies, a scroll plate having slots for
the accommodation of the shoes and arranged at the rear of the head, and means
as described for moving and for locking the scroll plate, substantially as set
forth.
6. The combination with the hollow shaft and the head carried thereby, of the
double-ended dies provided with grooves and seated in the head, retaining plates
fitting the grooves and adapted to hold the dies, shoes engaging and projecting
inward from the dies, and a scroll plate engaging said shoes, and means for
operating the scroll plate and for locking the same.

page_text: 7. In a machine for threading pipe, the combination with a hollow shaft, and
the head carried thereby, of the radially movable dies seated in the head and
having inwardly projecting shoes, the scroll plate embracing the shaft behind the
head and engaging and adapted to operate the shoes, a plate 25 secured to the
scroll plate, the locking plunger operating as described to lock the dies, and a
handle adapted for insertion into and operation of the plates behind the head,
substantially as described.
8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the hollow
shaft, and the head carried thereby, said head provided with standard marks, of a
series of threading dies seated in ways in the head and provided with standard
marks indicating different sizes, means as described for retaining said dies in their
seats, and a scroll plate arranged at the rear of the head, and adapted to operate
the dies, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of September 1892.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.